Sunitinib in Treating Patients With Brain Metastases Caused by Kidney Cancer or Melanoma

DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS: * Histologically confirmed melanoma or renal cell carcinoma * Metastatic brain disease * Must have assessable target intracranial lesion(s), defined as measurable disease ≥ 10 mm in longest diameter that is not appropriate for stereotactic radiosurgery or surgical resection * Lesions previously treated with radiosurgery AND not eligible for resection can only be used as target lesions if there has been true tumor progression on baseline scan (i.e., ≥ 20% increase in longest diameter of lesion) rather than radionecrosis * True progression must be confirmed by PET scan or other corroborating imaging used to distinguish radionecrosis * No leptomeningeal metastases or primary dural metastases PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS: * ECOG performance status (PS) 0-1 OR Karnofsky PS 60-100% * Not pregnant or nursing * Negative pregnancy test * Fertile patients must use effective contraception * Total leukocyte count ≥ 3,000/mm³ * ANC ≥ 1,500/mm³ * Platelet count ≥ 100,000/mm³ * Creatinine ≤ 2.0 times upper limit of normal (ULN) * Bilirubin ≤ 1.5 times ULN * Hemoglobin ≥ 9.0 g/dL * Calcium ≤ 12.0 mg/dL * AST and ALT ≤ 1.5 times ULN * PT ≤ 1.5 times ULN * No other malignancy within the past 5 years except adequately treated basal cell or squamous cell skin cancer or carcinoma in situ of the cervix * No uncontrolled medical illness including, but not limited to, any of the following: * Hypertension (i.e., blood pressure \> 150/100 mm Hg) * Thyroid disease * Severe valvular disease * Severe pulmonary disease * HIV/AIDS * Severe psychiatric illness * No cardiac dysrhythmia ≥ grade 2 * No prolonged QTc interval on baseline EKG * No systemic hemorrhage ≥ grade 2 within the past 4 weeks * No CNS hemorrhage ≥ grade 2 * Grade 1 (asymptomatic) CNS hemorrhage allowed at investigator's discretion * None of the following within the past 6 months: * Myocardial infarction * Unstable angina * Symptomatic congestive heart failure * Stroke/transient ischemic attack * Pulmonary embolism * Ejection fraction ≥ 50% by baseline echocardiogram OR \< 20% decrease in ejection fraction from a prior study PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY: * No prior multi-targeted tyrosine kinase inhibitor therapy (e.g., sunitinib malate or sorafenib) * No coronary/peripheral arterial bypass surgery within the past 6 months * More than 4 weeks since prior surgery and recovered * More than 4 weeks since prior and no other concurrent experimental therapy or cytotoxic chemotherapy * More than 4 weeks since prior immunotherapy * More than 2 weeks since prior stereotactic radiosurgery and recovered * More than 7 days since prior and no concurrent drugs that interact with CYP3A4 family, including enzyme-inducing antiepileptic drugs, warfarin, or Hypericum perforatum extract (St. John's wort)