Sorafenib in Treating Patients With Metastatic Kidney Cancer That Has Not Responded to Sunitinib or Bevacizumab

DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS: * Histologically confirmed renal cell carcinoma with a component of clear cell histology * Metastatic disease * Disease progression, as defined by RECIST criteria, after prior treatment with sunitinib malate or bevacizumab * Patients must have received ≥ 1 course (4 weeks) of sunitinib malate or ≥ 2 doses of bevacizumab AND have RECIST-defined objective progression during or within 4 months after completing treatment with sunitinib malate or bevacizumab * Measurable disease by RECIST criteria * CNS metastases allowed provided patient has undergone prior surgery and/or radiotherapy AND has no evidence of further CNS disease progression by CT scan or MRI ≥ 2 weeks after treatment of CNS metastases PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS: * ECOG performance status (PS) 0-1 or Karnofsky PS 70-100% * WBC ≥ 3,000/μL * Absolute neutrophil count ≥ 1,500/μL * Platelet count ≥ 75,000/μL * Total bilirubin ≤ 1.5 times upper limit of normal (ULN) * AST/ALT ≤ 2.5 times ULN * Creatinine ≤ 2.0 times ULN * Negative pregnancy test * No significant cardiovascular disease, including any of the following: * Congestive heart failure (New York Heart Association class III-IV heart disease) * Active angina pectoris requiring nitrate therapy * Uncontrolled dysrhythmias * Cardiovascular event within the past 6 months (e.g., transient ischemic attack/cerebrovascular accident, myocardial infarction, or vascular surgery) PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY: * See Disease Characteristics * At least 2 weeks since prior systemic therapy, radiotherapy, or major surgery and recovered * No prior sorafenib tosylate * No other concurrent investigational agents * No other concurrent anticancer therapy * No concurrent prophylactic growth factors