Inclusion Criteria

DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:

- Histologically or cytologically confirmed unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC)

- Bidimensionally measurable disease defined as at least 1 lesion that is 1 cm or more
in 2 dimensions by CT scan

- Class A or B Child-Pugh liver classification

- No prior CNS metastases or carcinomatous meningitis

PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:

Age

- 18 and over

Performance status

- Karnofsky 70-100%

Life expectancy

- At least 12 weeks

Hematopoietic

- Absolute neutrophil count at least 1,500/mm^3*

- Platelet count at least 100,000/mm^3*

- Hemoglobin at least 8.5 g/dL* NOTE: *More than 7 days since prior blood transfusions
or growth factors

Hepatic

- Bilirubin no greater than 1.5 times upper limit of normal (ULN)

- Albumin greater than 2.5 g/dL

- AST and ALT no greater than 3 times ULN

- INR no greater than 1.5 (unless receiving anticoagulants)

Renal

- Creatinine no greater than 2 times ULN

Cardiovascular

- LVEF at least 50%

- No New York Heart Association class III or IV cardiac disease

- No acute anginal symptoms

Other

- Not pregnant or nursing

- Negative pregnancy test

- Fertile patients must use effective contraception during and for 3 months after study

- No severe concurrent disease, infection, or co-morbidity that would preclude study
entry

- No other malignancy within the past 5 years except adequately treated basal cell or
squamous cell skin cancer or carcinoma in situ of the cervix

PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:

Biologic therapy

- No prior immunotherapy for HCC

- No concurrent therapeutic biological response modifier

Chemotherapy

- No prior chemotherapy for HCC

- No prior chemoembolization for HCC

- No other concurrent cytotoxic chemotherapy

Endocrine therapy

- At least 6 weeks since prior hormonal therapy (an indicator lesion must exist outside
the area of therapy

- No concurrent hormonal anticancer therapy

Radiotherapy

- No prior radiotherapy for HCC

- At least 6 weeks since prior radiofrequency ablation, selective internal radiation,
or embolization (an indicator lesion must exist outside the area of therapy)

- No concurrent radiotherapy (including palliative therapy)

Surgery

- At least 6 weeks since prior surgical resection (an indicator lesion must exist
outside the area of therapy)

- Recurrence at the margin of the surgical resection is allowed

- At least 6 weeks since prior cryosurgery

- More than 4 weeks since other prior major surgery

Other

- More than 4 weeks since prior investigational therapy

- At least 6 weeks since prior intratumoral ethanol injection (an indicator lesion must
exist outside the area of therapy)

- No other concurrent investigational anticancer therapy