Sunitinib in Treating Patients With Progressive Metastatic Transitional Cell Cancer of the Urothelium

DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS: * Histologically confirmed transitional cell carcinoma of the urothelium, including 1 of the following sites: * Bladder * Urethra * Ureter * Renal pelvis * Progressive metastatic disease * Progressive disease defined as new or progressive lesions on cross-sectional imaging * Progressed despite prior treatment with cytotoxic chemotherapy * Measurable disease * Previously treated disease, as defined by the following: * Received treatment with 1-4 cytotoxic agents * Prior therapy must have included ≥ 1 of the following: * Cisplatin * Carboplatin * Paclitaxel * Docetaxel * Gemcitabine hydrochloride * Prior cytotoxic agents in the perioperative or metastatic setting allowed and may have been administered sequentially (e.g., first-line treatment followed by second-line treatment at time of progression) or all as part of a single regimen * No symptomatic CNS metastases PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS: * Karnofsky performance status 60-100% * Absolute neutrophil count ≥ 1,000/mm³ * Platelet count ≥ 100,000/mm³ * Hemoglobin ≥ 8.0 g/dL * Bilirubin ≤ 1.5 mg/dL (unless Gilbert's disease is present) * AST and ALT ≤ 2.5 times upper limit of normal (ULN) (5 times ULN if liver function abnormalities are due to underlying malignancy) * Creatinine ≤ 2.0 mg/dL * Not pregnant or nursing * Negative pregnancy test * Fertile patients must use effective contraception * None of the following within the past 6 months: * Myocardial infarction * Severe or unstable angina * Coronary or peripheral artery bypass graft * Symptomatic congestive heart failure * Cerebrovascular accident or transient ischemic attack * Pulmonary embolism * No ongoing cardiac dysrhythmias ≥ grade 2 * No prolonged QTc interval on baseline ECG * No uncontrolled hypertension, defined as blood pressure \> 150/100 mm Hg despite optimal medical therapy * No preexisting thyroid abnormality (i.e., thyroid function tests that cannot be maintained in the normal range with medication) * No known HIV- or AIDS-related illness or other active infection PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY: * See Disease Characteristics * At least 4 weeks since prior radiotherapy or chemotherapy * At least 4 weeks since prior major surgery * No other concurrent investigational drugs * No concurrent participation in another clinical trial (supportive care trials or non-treatment trials \[e.g., quality of life\] allowed) * No concurrent therapeutic doses of warfarin (low-dose warfarin ≤ 2 mg once daily for thromboembolic prophylaxis allowed)