Chemoembolization Using Doxorubicin in Treating Patients With Liver Cancer That Cannot Be Removed By Surgery

DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS: * Diagnosis of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) according to the European Association for the Study of Liver (EASL) disease diagnostic criteria AND the Okuda staging classification * No advanced disease, as defined by any of the following: * Barcelona Clinic Liver Cancer (BCLC) class C disease, as defined by the following: * Vascular invasion, including segmental portal obstruction * Extrahepatic spread * Cancer-related symptoms (PST of 1-2) * BCLC class D disease, as defined by the following: * Okuda stage III disease * World Health Organization (WHO) performance status 3 or 4 * Diffuse HCC, defined as massive ill-defined tumor involvement * Child-Pugh Class C * Not eligible for radical therapies (e.g., resection, liver transplantation, or percutaneous therapies) * No significant liver decompensation * Preserved liver function (Child-Pugh class A-B) * No ascites (trace ascites allowed) * No other active primary tumor * Arteries supplying the lesion must be large enough to accept GelSpheres™ beads PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS: * Bilirubin ≤ 3 mg/dL * Albumin \> 2.0 g/dL * Aspartate aminotransferase (AST) and alanine aminotransferase (ALT) ≤ 5 times the upper limit of normal (ULN) * Alkaline phosphatase ≤ 5 times the upper limit of normal (ULN) * No active gastrointestinal bleeding * No encephalopathy * No contraindication to hepatic embolization procedures, as indicated by any of the following: * Porto-systemic shunt * Hepatofugal blood flow * Platelet count \< 50,000/mm\^3 * International normalized ratio (INR) ≥ 1.8 * Partial thromboplastin time (PTT) ≥ 39 seconds * Renal failure * Severe atheromatosis * No contraindication to doxorubicin hydrochloride administration, as indicated by any of the following: * Bilirubin \> 5 mg/dL * White blood cell (WBC) \< 1,500/mm\^3 * Ejection fraction \< 50% by isotopic ventriculography or echocardiography * Not pregnant * No known allergy to contrast media * No intolerance to occlusion procedures * No vascular anatomy or bleeding that would preclude catheter placement or emboli injection, as indicated by any of the following: * Active or risk of hemorrhage * Patent extra-to-intracranial anastomoses or shunts * End arteries leading directly to the cranial nerves * Feeding arteries smaller than distal branches from which they emerge * Collateral vessel pathways that would potentially endanger normal territories during embolization PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY: * No prior anticancer therapy for HCC