This phase II trial is studying how well sorafenib works in treating patients with recurrent diffuse large B-cell non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. Sorafenib may stop the growth of cancer cells by blocking some of the enzymes needed for cell growth and by blocking blood flow to the tumor.

PRIMARY OBJECTIVES:

I. To evaluate the response rate of treatment with sorafenib (BAY43-9006) in patients with recurrent aggressive non-Hodgkin's lymphomas.

SECONDARY OBJECTIVES:

I. To evaluate the duration of response and progression free survival of treatment with BAY43-9006 in patients with recurrent aggressive Non-Hodgkin's Lymphomas.

II. To characterize the toxicity of treatment with BAY43-9006 in patients with recurrent aggressive Non-Hodgkin's Lymphomas.

III. To further characterize the pharmacokinetics properties of BAY43-9006 and assess influence of monooxygenases polymorphisms and multi-drug resistance transporter (MDR) on pharmacokinetics.

OUTLINE: This is a multicenter study.

Patients receive oral sorafenib twice daily on days 1-28. Courses repeat every 28 days in the absence of disease progression or unacceptable toxicity.

After completion of study treatment, patients are followed every 3 months for 2 years and then every 6 months for 1 year.

PLANNED ACCRUAL: 41 ACTUAL ACCRUAL: 14

Inclusion Criteria:

• Patients must have histologically confirmed recurrent de novo or transformed diffuse large B cell lymphoma (DLBCL) or one of its variants according to WHO classification (centroblastic, immunoblastic, T-cell/histiocyte rich and anaplastic variants)
• Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) performance status must be 0 or 1
• Patients must have measurable disease as defined in section 6 assessed within 4 weeks of registration
• Patients must have failed one or more prior Non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) chemotherapy or antibody therapy with curative intent; autologous stem cell transplant is permitted
• Leukocytes >= 2,000/mm^3
• Absolute neutrophil count >= 1,000/mm^3
• Platelets >= 75,000/ mm^3
• Total bilirubin =< 2.0 X normal institutional limits
• Aspartate Aminotransferase (AST) =< 2.5 X institutional upper limit of normal
• Alanine Aminotransferase (ALT) =< 2.5 X institutional upper limit of normal
• Creatinine within normal institutional limits; creatinine clearance calculated or measured at >= 60 ml/min/1.73m^2 if creatinine level is above institutional limits
• The prothrombin time (PT)/international normalized ratio (INR) within Institutional limits of normal
• Patients with underlying hypertension as defined by blood pressures averaging greater than 140/90 on two separate clinic visits are eligible if hypertension has been controlled by standard nonpharmacologic and pharmacologic therapy
• Patients must be physically able to orally ingest tablets

Exclusion Criteria:

• Central nervous system (CNS) involvement
• Previously treated with Sorafenib (BAY 43-9006) or other small molecule targeted inhibitors of mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) signaling intermediates or angiogenesis (e.g. bevacizumab)
• Progressed within 60 days of last therapy
• Prior allogeneic stem cell transplant
• Candidates for potentially curative therapy, such as hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT)
• Currently receiving any other investigational agents
• History of allergic reactions attributed to compounds of similar chemical or biologic composition to sorafenib
• Uncontrolled intercurrent illness including, but not limited to: ongoing or active infection, symptomatic congestive heart failure, unstable angina pectoris, cardiac arrhythmia or psychiatric illness/social situations that would limit compliance with study requirements
• Active HIV infection, because of possible pharmacokinetic interactions of anti-retroviral therapy with BAY43-9006
• Evidence of bleeding diathesis
• Currently taking the cytochrome P450 enzyme-inducing anti-epileptic drugs (phenytoin, carbamazepine and phenobarbital), rifampin or St. John's Wort
• Pregnant or Breast-feeding; all females of childbearing potential must have a blood test or urine study within 2 weeks prior to registration to rule out pregnancy. Women of childbearing potential and sexually active males must be strongly advised to use an accepted and effective method of contraception