Sorafenib in Treating Patients Undergoing Surgery for Stage II, Stage III, or Stage IV Kidney Cancer

DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS: * Diagnosis of renal cell carcinoma (RCC) as confirmed by either of the following: * Radiographic documentation by MRI or CT scan * Histological evidence of primary RCC * Stage II-IV disease, as defined by any of the following: * T \> 7 cm * Renal vein involvement * Local invasion * Evidence of lymph node involvement * Distant metastatic disease * Deemed suitable for nephrectomy by a urologist * No requirement for surgery earlier than 4 weeks from study entry * No known brain metastasis * Patients with neurological symptoms must undergo a CT scan or brain MRI to exclude brain metastasis PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS: * ECOG performance status 0-1 * Hemoglobin ≥ 9.0 g/dL * ANC ≥ 1,500/mm³ * Platelet count ≥ 100,000/mm³ * Bilirubin ≤ 1.5 times upper limit of normal (ULN) * ALT and AST ≤ 2.5 times ULN (≤ 5 times ULN for patients with liver involvement) * Creatinine ≤ 2.5 times ULN or glomerular filtration rate ≥ 50 mL/min * INR ≤ 1.5 AND PTT normal * Stable INR required at baseline for patients on warfarin * Not pregnant or nursing * Negative pregnancy test * Fertile women must use effective contraception * Fertile men must use effective contraception during and for ≥ 2 months after the last dose of sorafenib tosylate * No other active primary malignancy except skin cancer * No active coronary artery disease * No active bleeding diathesis * Closely monitored therapeutic anticoagulation allowed * No cardiac disease, including any of the following: * New York Heart Association class III-IV congestive heart failure * Unstable angina (i.e., anginal symptoms at rest) or new onset angina (i.e., beginning within the past 3 months) * Myocardial infarction within the past 6 months * No cardiac ventricular arrhythmias requiring anti-arrhythmic therapy * No uncontrolled hypertension, defined as systolic blood pressure (BP) \> 150 mm Hg or diastolic BP \> 90 mm Hg, despite optimal medical management * No known HIV infection or chronic hepatitis B or C * No active, clinically serious infection \> grade 2 * No thrombolic or embolic events, such as a cerebrovascular accident or transient ischemic attacks, within the past 6 months * No pulmonary hemorrhage or bleeding event ≥ grade 2 within the past 4 weeks (≥ grade 3 for any nonpulmonary hemorrhage or bleeding event) * No serious nonhealing wound, ulcer, or bone fracture * No significant traumatic injury within the past 4 weeks * No known or suspected allergy to sorafenib tosylate or any agent given in the course of this study * No condition that impairs the patient's ability to swallow whole pills * No malabsorption problem PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY: * No major surgery or open biopsy within the past 4 weeks * Concurrent anticoagulation therapy (e.g., warfarin or heparin) allowed * No other concurrent investigational or commercial agents or therapies for RCC * No concurrent Hypericum perforatum (St. John's wort) or rifampin