DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:

• Histologically confirmed esophageal or gastroesophageal junction carcinoma that is not amenable to curative surgery or other curative therapy

  • Advanced, relapsed or refractory disease
• Measurable disease, defined as at least one lesion that can be accurately measured in at least one dimension (longest diameter to be recorded) as ≥ 20 mm by conventional techniques or as ≥ 10 mm by spiral CT scan
• No known brain metastases

PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:

• ECOG performance status 0-1
• Life expectancy > 12 weeks
• WBC ≥ 3,000/μL
• Absolute neutrophil count ≥ 1,500/μL
• Platelet count ≥ 100,000/μL
• Serum calcium ≤ 12.0 mg/dL
• Total bilirubin normal
• AST and ALT ≤ 2.5 times upper limit of normal
• Creatinine normal OR creatinine clearance ≥ 60 mL/min
• Not pregnant or nursing
• Negative pregnancy test
• Fertile patients must use effective contraception prior to, during, and for 28 days after completion of study treatment
• No history of allergic reactions attributed to compounds of similar chemical or biologic composition to sunitinib malate
• No ongoing cardiac dysrhythmias ≥ grade 2, atrial fibrillation of any grade, or prolongation of the QTc interval to > 450 msec (for males) or > 470 msec (for females)
• No hypertension that cannot be controlled by medications (i.e., systolic/diastolic blood pressure > 150/100 mm Hg despite optimal medical therapy)
• No myocardial infarction, cardiac arrhythmia, stable/unstable angina, symptomatic congestive heart failure, or coronary/peripheral artery bypass graft or stenting within the past 12 months
• No cerebrovascular accident or transient ischemic attack within the past 12 months
• No pulmonary embolism within the past 12 months
• No condition that would impair the ability to swallow and retain sunitinib malate tablets (e.g., gastrointestinal tract disease resulting in an inability to take oral medication or a requirement for IV alimentation, prior surgical procedures affecting absorption, or active peptic ulcer disease)
• No abdominal fistula, gastrointestinal perforation, or intra-abdominal abscess within the past 28 days
• No serious or nonhealing wound, ulcer, or bone fracture
• No pre-existing thyroid abnormality that cannot be maintained in the normal range with medication
• No concurrent uncontrolled illness including, but not limited to, ongoing or active infection or psychiatric illness/social situation that would limit compliance with study requirements

PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:

• Recovered from prior therapy
• At least 4 weeks since prior radiotherapy or major surgery
• At least 4 weeks since prior chemotherapy (6 weeks for mitomycin C, carmustine, or alkylating agents)
• No more than 6 prior courses of an alkylating agent
• No more than 450 mg/m² of prior doxorubicin hydrochloride or 900 mg/m² of prior epirubicin hydrochloride
• No more than 2 lines of prior therapy in the metastatic setting
• No prior anti-VEGF monoclonal antibodies, such as bevacizumab or aflibercept
• No prior tyrosine kinase inhibitors with similar targets (e.g., sorafenib tosylate or axitinib)
• No other concurrent investigational agents

• No concurrent therapeutic doses of coumarin-derivative anticoagulants, such as warfarin

  • Warfarin at doses of ≤ 2 mg daily are allowed for prophylaxis of thrombosis
  • Low molecular weight heparin allowed provided PT/INR is ≤ 1.5
• No concurrent combination antiretroviral therapy for HIV-positive patients
• No concurrent agents with proarrhythmic potential (e.g., terfenadine, quinidine, procainamide, disopyramide, sotalol, probucol, bepridil, haloperidol, risperidone, indapamide, and flecainide)