DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:

• Histologically confirmed de novo or transformed diffuse large B-cell non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL) OR one of the following variants, according to the WHO classification system

  • Centroblastic
  • Immunoblastic
  • T-cell/histiocyte rich
  • Anaplastic

• Recurrent disease

  • Must have failed ≥ 1 prior chemotherapy or antibody therapy regimen for NHL with curative intent

    • No disease progression within 60 days of last therapy
• Measurable disease
• No CNS involvement
• Ineligible for or refused potentially curative therapy (e.g., hematopoietic stem cell transplantation or other alternative therapy)

PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:

Age

• 18 and over

Performance status

• ECOG 0-1

Life expectancy

• Not specified

Hematopoietic

• WBC ≥ 2,000/mm^3*
• Absolute neutrophil count ≥ 1,000/mm^3*
• Platelet count ≥ 75,000/mm^3*
• No bleeding diathesis NOTE: *Unless related to lymphoma activity

Hepatic

• PT/INR normal
• Bilirubin ≤ 2.0 times normal*
• AST and ALT ≤ 2.5 times upper limit of normal* NOTE: *Unless related to lymphoma activity

Renal

• Creatinine normal* OR
• Creatinine clearance ≥ 60 mL/min* NOTE: *Unless related to lymphoma activity

Cardiovascular

• No symptomatic congestive heart failure
• No unstable angina pectoris
• No cardiac arrhythmia
• No underlying hypertension (i.e., blood pressure averaging ≥ 140/90 mm Hg on 2 separate clinic visits) unless hypertension is controlled by standard nonpharmacologic or pharmacologic therapy

Other

• Not pregnant or nursing
• Negative pregnancy test
• Fertile patients must use effective contraception
• Able to ingest oral medication
• No ongoing or active infection
• No psychiatric illness or social situation that would preclude study compliance
• No history of allergic reaction attributed to compounds of similar chemical or biological composition to sorafenib
• No other uncontrolled illness

PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:

Biologic therapy

• See Disease Characteristics
• Prior autologous stem cell transplantation allowed
• No prior allogeneic stem cell transplantation
• No other prior small molecule targeted angiogenesis inhibitors (e.g., bevacizumab or CI-1040)

Chemotherapy

• See Disease Characteristics

Endocrine therapy

• Not specified

Radiotherapy

• Not specified

Surgery

• Not specified

Other

• No prior sorafenib
• No other prior small molecule targeted inhibitors of MAPK signaling intermediates

• No concurrent cytochrome P450 enzyme-inducing antiepileptic drugs, including any of the following:

  • Phenytoin
  • Carbamazepine
  • Phenobarbital
• No concurrent rifampin or Hypericum perforatum (St. John's wort)
• No other concurrent investigational agents