DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:

• Histologically confirmed hepatocellular carcinoma

  • Confirmed by needle aspirate, biopsy, or prior surgical resection specimen OR

• Clinically confirmed hepatocellular carcinoma defined as follows:

  • Cirrhosis or chronic hepatitis B or C virus infection, with 1 or more hypervascular liver masses more than 2 cm
  • Alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) greater than 400 ng/mL OR greater than 3 times normal and doubling in value during the past 3 months

• Deemed unresectable

  • Prior surgical resection allowed
  • Recurrence after hepatic resection or other procedure allowed
  • Tumor that extends into branches of the portal or hepatic veins allowed
  • No tumor invading the main portal vein (portal trunk) or inferior vena cava
  • No tumor occupying more than 50% of the liver volume
• Enlargement/involvement of regional (porta-hepatis) lymph nodes allowed

• At least 1 unidimensionally measurable lesion at least 20 mm

  • No poorly defined lesions
  • No vague hypervascular patches

• Child-Pugh class A or compensated Child-Pugh class B liver dysfunction

  • No Child-Pugh class C or uncompensated class B indicated by active encephalopathy, persistent ascites, or prothrombin time greater than 1.5 times normal
  • Prior ascites allowed if manageable with diuretics alone
  • No repeated paracentesis (more than 1 per month)
• No extrahepatic metastasis
• No documented brain metastases
• No history or clinical evidence of CNS disease (e.g., primary brain tumor, seizures uncontrolled with standard medical therapy, or history of stroke)

PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:

Age

• 18 and over

Performance status

• ECOG 0-2

Life expectancy

• Not specified

Hematopoietic

• Absolute neutrophil count greater than 1,500/mm^3
• Hemoglobin at least 8 g/dL
• Platelet count at least 75,000/mm^3
• No prior serious bleeding event (unrelated to liver disease)
• No bleeding diathesis
• No coagulopathy

Hepatic

• Bilirubin no greater than 3 mg/dL
• Transaminases less than 5 times upper limit of normal (ULN)
• Albumin at least 2.5 mg/dL
• PTT less than 4 seconds above ULN
• INR less than 1.5 (for patients receiving warfarin)

Renal

• Creatinine less than 1.5 g/dL
• Urine protein less than 500 mg/24hrs* NOTE: *If initial urinalysis indicates 0 protein, 24-hour urine protein evaluation is not required

Cardiovascular

• No thromboembolic event within the past 12 months including the following:

  • Stroke
  • Myocardial infarction
  • Transient ischemic attack
  • Angina

• No clinically significant cardiovascular disease including the following:

  • Uncontrolled hypertension
  • Unstable angina
  • Congestive heart failure (New York Heart Association grade II-IV)
  • Serious cardiac arrhythmia requiring medication
  • Grade II or greater peripheral vascular disease within the past year
• No deep vein thrombosis within the past year

Pulmonary

• No pulmonary embolus within the past year

Other

• Not pregnant or nursing
• Negative pregnancy test
• Fertile patients must use effective contraception
• No active infection requiring parenteral antibiotics
• No serious non-healing wound/ulcer or bone fracture

• No variceal bleeding within the past 6 months

  • Prior esophageal varices allowed provided the following criteria are met:

    • Specific therapy (i.e., banding or sclerotherapy) has been received
    • No bleeding within the past 6 months
    • Varices remaining obliterated, minimal, or grade 1 (involving less than 33% of lumenal diameter)* by re-endoscopy within the past 4 weeks NOTE: *Varices greater than grade 1 must undergo additional banding and will be considered eligible upon obliteration of all varices
• No malignancy within the past 5 years except localized nonmelanoma skin cancer
• No ongoing psychiatric or social situation that would preclude study compliance
• No known hypersensitivity to Chinese hamster ovary cell products
• No known hypersensitivity to other recombinant human antibodies

PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:

Biologic therapy

• No more than 1 prior biologic therapy
• No concurrent interferon
• No concurrent interleukin-2

Chemotherapy

• No more than 1 prior antineoplastic chemotherapy

Endocrine therapy

• Not specified

Radiotherapy

• Not specified

Surgery

• See Disease Characteristics
• At least 4 weeks since prior invasive surgery, including open biopsy
• At least 2 weeks since prior needle biopsy (core or fine-needle aspirate)
• No concurrent hepatic transplant

Other

• At least 4 weeks since prior anticancer therapy
• No concurrent platelet-stimulating factors (e.g., oprelvekin)
• No concurrent full-dose anticoagulants or thrombolytic agents (except as required to maintain patency of pre-existing, permanent indwelling IV catheters)
• No chronic daily antiplatelet drugs (e.g., aspirin doses of 325 mg/day or higher or non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs)