Pre-operative Administration of Sorafenib in Patients With Metastatic Renal Cell Carcinoma Undergoing Kidney Removal

Inclusion Criteria: * Biopsy proven RCC with a component of clear cell type histology * Patients must have confirmed metastatic disease * Candidate for cytoreductive nephrectomy * Adequate organ function as defined by: * AST or ALT less than or equal to 2.5 times the upper limit of normal * Bilirubin less than or equal to 1.5 times the upper limit of normal * Absolute neutrophil count (ANC) greater than or equal to 1500/mL * Platelets greater than or equal to 100,000/mL * Hemoglobin greater than or equal to 9.0 g/dL * Serum calcium less than or equal to 12.0 mg/dL * Serum creatinine less than or equal to 1.5 x CL-ULN * Male or female, 18 years of age or older * Women of childbearing potential must NOT be pregnant (as confirmed by a negative pregnancy test) * ECOG performance status 0 or 1 (see appendix 1 for ECOG performance status) * Signed informed consent form indicating that the patient or acceptable representative has been informed of all parts of the trial prior to enrollment * Willingness and ability to comply with study procedures Exclusion Criteria: * Presence of brain metastases during screening period * Known hypersensitivity to Sorafenib * Women who are breast-feeding * Severe psychiatric or medical illness that may interfere with compliance with the study protocol or follow-up as deemed by the investigator * History of cardiac disease: congestive heart failure \>NYHA class 2; active CAD (MI more than 6 mo prior to study entry is allowed); cardiac arrhythmias requiring anti-arrhythmic therapy (beta blockers or digoxin are permitted) or uncontrolled hypertension. * HIV-positive patients