DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:

• Histologically confirmed primary colorectal cancer

  • Metastatic disease

• Must have received a prior thymidylate synthase inhibitor (e.g., fluorouracil, capecitabine, raltitrexed, or tegafur-uracil) for adjuvant and/or metastatic disease

  • Thymidylate synthase inhibitor may have been given in combination with oxaliplatin or irinotecan hydrochloride

• Must meet one of the following criteria:

  • Received and failed* an irinotecan hydrochloride-containing regimen (i.e., single-agent or in combination) for treatment of metastatic disease
  • Relapsed within 6 months of completion of an irinotecan hydrochloride-containing adjuvant therapy
  • Has documented unsuitability** for an irinotecan hydrochloride-containing regimen NOTE: *Failure is defined as either progression of disease or intolerance to the irinotecan-containing regimen, where intolerance is defined as discontinuation due to any of the following: severe allergic reaction or delayed recovery from toxicity preventing retreatment

NOTE: **Documented unsuitability for irinotecan includes known hypersensitivity to irinotecan, abnormal glucuronidation of bilirubin, Gilbert's syndrome, previous pelvic/abdominal irradiation, or elderly with comorbid conditions

• Must meet one of the following:

  • Received and failed* an oxaliplatin-containing regimen (i.e. single-agent or in combination) for treatment of metastatic disease
  • Relapsed within 6 months of completion of an oxaliplatin containing adjuvant therapy
  • Has documented unsuitability** for an oxaliplatin-containing regimen NOTE: *Failure is defined as either progression of disease or intolerance to the oxaliplatin-containing regimen, where intolerance is defined as discontinuation due to any of the following: severe allergic reaction, persistent severe neurotoxicity or delayed recovery from toxicity preventing retreatment

NOTE: **Documented unsuitability for oxaliplatin includes known hypersensitivity to oxaliplatin or other platinum compounds, pre-existing renal impairment, or Grade 2 or greater neurosensory neuropathy

• Measurable or evaluable disease
• Patient must consent to provision of, and investigator(s) must confirm access to and agree to submit at the request of the NCIC CTG Central Tumor Bank, a representative formalin fixed paraffin block of tumour tissue
• Patient must consent to provision of a sample of blood

• No symptomatic CNS metastases

  • Patients with signs or symptoms suggestive of brain metastasis are not eligible unless brain metastases are ruled out by CT or MRI scans

PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:

Inclusion criteria:

• ECOG performance status 0-2
• Absolute granulocyte count ≥ 1.5 x 10^9/L
• Platelet count ≥ 75 x 10^9/L
• Hemoglobin ≥ 80 g/L
• Total bilirubin ≤ 1.5 times upper limit of normal (ULN) (2.0 times ULN with documented liver metastases)
• ALT and AST ≤ 2.5 times ULN (5.0 times ULN with documented liver metastases)
• Serum creatinine ≤ 1.5 times ULN or creatinine clearance > 50 mL/min
• Magnesium > 0.5 mmol/L (1.2 mg/dL)
• LVEF > 45% by ECHO or MUGA scan
• No proteinuria ≥ 2+ on dipstick or ≥ 1 g on 24 hour urine collection
• Not pregnant or nursing
• Negative pregnancy test
• Fertile patients must use effective contraception prior to, during, and for 12 weeks after completion of study treatment
• Able (i.e., sufficiently fluent) and willing to complete the quality of life (EORTC QLQ-C30 and Skindex-16) and health utilities questionnaires (HUI3) in either English or French

Exclusion criteria:

• A history of other malignancies, except: adequately treated nonmelanoma skin cancer, curatively treated in situ cancer of the cervix, or other solid tumors curatively treated with no evidence of disease for ≥ 5 years
• Any active disease condition which would render the protocol treatment dangerous or impair the ability of the patient to receive protocol therapy
• Any condition (e.g., psychological, geographical, etc.) that does not permit compliance with the protocol

• Uncontrolled or significant cardiovascular disease including any of the following:

  • Myocardial infarction within 12 months
  • Uncontrolled angina within 6 months
  • Clinically significant congestive heart failure
  • Stroke, transient ischemic attack, or other ischemic event within 12 months
  • Severe cardiac valve dysfunction
• Uncontrolled hypertension (consistent elevation of systolic BP > 150 and diastolic BP > 100 mmHg)

• History of a thromboembolic event in the last 6 months despite being treated with anticoagulation

  • Patients are eligible if they have experienced a thromboembolic event greater than 6 months previously and have initiated and are stable on anticoagulation or if they have previously initiated and are stable on anticoagulation for prevention of thromboembolic events
• Severe restrictive lung disease or radiological pulmonary findings of "interstitial lung disease" on the baseline chest x-ray which, in the opinion of the investigator, represents significant pathology
• Serious non-healing wounds, ulcers, or bone fractures
• History of allergy to brivanib (alaninate or related drug class

PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:

• See Disease Characteristics
• Adequately recovered from recent surgery, chemotherapy and/or radiation therapy
• At least 4 weeks must have elapsed from major surgery, prior chemotherapy, prior treatment with an investigational agent or prior radiation therapy
• No prior cetuximab or other therapy* with targets the EGFR pathway (e.g., erlotinib hydrochloride, gefitinib hydrochloride, panitumumab)
• May have received a single prior regimen which targets the VEGFR pathway (e.g., bevacizumab , vatalanib, AZD2171, sorafenib tosylate, sunitinib malate, or others)
• No prior murine monoclonal antibody therapy (e.g., edrecolomab)
• No other concurrent chemotherapy
• No other concurrent therapies targeting the EGFR pathway (e.g., erlotinib, gefitinib, panitumumab, or others) or other therapies targeting the VEGFR pathway (e.g., bevacizumab , vatalanib, AZD2171, sorafenib tosylate, sunitinib malate, or others)
• Concurrent antihypertensive therapies allowed
• Concurrent aspirin allowed
• No other concurrent noncytotoxic experimental agents