Sorafenib in Treating Patients With Kidney Cancer That Has Spread to the Brain

DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS: * Histologically or cytologically confirmed renal cell carcinoma metastatic to the brain * Measurable disease in the brain * Meets 1 of the following criteria: * No prior brain-specific therapy AND no CNS symptoms referable to the brain lesion(s) (with or without concurrent steroid therapy) * CNS symptoms referable to the brain lesion(s) AND received primary therapy for the brain lesion(s) PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS: * Blood pressure \< 140/90 mm Hg on 2 separate occasions, taken at least 24 hours apart, within the past 6 weeks (patients on stable anti-hypertensive regimens allowed) * ECOG performance status (PS) 0-2 OR Karnofsky PS 60-100% * Bilirubin \< 1.5 times upper limit of normal (ULN) * ALT/AST \< 2.5 times ULN * Estimated glomerular filtration rate \> 30 mL/min * Not pregnant or nursing * Negative pregnancy test * Fertile patients must use effective contraception * Able to swallow pills or comply with an oral treatment regimen * No history of a bleeding diathesis or requirement for full-dose anticoagulation * No history of allergic reactions attributed to compounds of similar chemical or biologic composition to sorafenib * No clinical or radiologic evidence of bowel obstruction or perforation * No other uncontrolled intercurrent illness including, but not limited to, any of the following: * Ongoing or active infection * Symptomatic congestive heart failure * Unstable angina pectoris * Cardiac arrhythmia * Psychiatric illness or social situation that would limit compliance with study requirements PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY: * More than 4 weeks since prior chemotherapy (6 weeks for nitrosoureas or mitomycin C) and recovered * More than 4 weeks since prior radiotherapy to sites outside of the brain and recovered * More than 8 weeks since prior standard external-beam radiotherapy to the brain unless there is evidence of in-brain progression * No prior complete surgical resection or radiosurgery of all known brain metastases unless there is evidence of in-brain progression * No prior sorafenib, sunitinib malate, bevacizumab, or any other agent targeting the platelet-derived growth factor receptor (PDGFR) or vascular endothelial growth factor receptor (VEGFR) kinase cascade * No other concurrent investigational agents * No concurrent enzyme-inducing anti-seizure medications, including phenytoin, phenobarbital, carbamazepine, or primidone * Concurrent non-enzyme-inducing anti-seizure medications allowed * No concurrent combination antiretroviral therapy for HIV-positive patients * No concurrent hematopoietic growth factors except erythropoietin * No concurrent ketoconazole, itraconazole, or ritonavir * No concurrent grapefruit juice * No concurrent Hypericum perforatum (St. John's wort) * No concurrent chemotherapy * No concurrent hormonal therapy except steroids for adrenal failure and/or control of CNS edema or hormones for non-disease related conditions (e.g., insulin for diabetes) * No concurrent palliative radiotherapy * No other concurrent anticancer therapy * Concurrent bisphosphonates allowed