Inclusion Criteria:

- Histologically confirmed hepatocellular carcinoma

- Locally advanced or metastatic disease

- Not amenable to treatment with surgery or orthotopic liver transplantation

- Measurable or non-measurable disease

- Measurable disease is defined as ≥ 1 unidimensionally measurable lesion ≥ 20 mm
by conventional techniques OR ≥ 10 mm by spiral CT scan

- Evidence of disease progression by imaging on serial exams or biochemical evidence of
a rising alpha fetoprotein on serial testing

- No history of brain metastases other than locally treatable CNS lesions (i.e.,
lesions treatable with surgery or radiosurgery)

- Patients with locally treatable CNS disease eligible provided they were
previously treated and had no evidence of CNS progression for ≥ 4 weeks after
completion of treatment

- No fibrolamellar hepatocellular carcinoma or mixed cholangiocarcinoma/hepatocellular
carcinoma

- Performance status - ECOG 0-1

- Absolute neutrophil count ≥ 1,200/mm^3

- Platelet count ≥ 75,000/mm^3

- Hemoglobin ≥ 10.0 g/dL

- Bilirubin ≤ 3 times upper limit of normal (ULN)

- AST ≤ 5 times ULN

- Alkaline phosphatase ≤ 5 times ULN

- Urine protein < 1+ by urine dip stick OR proteinuria < 1 gm/24-hour collection

- QTc prolongation ≤ 500 msec

- No symptomatic congestive heart failure

- No unstable angina pectoris

- No cardiac arrhythmia

- No uncontrolled blood pressure, defined as systolic blood pressure > 150 mm Hg and/or
diastolic blood pressure > 100 mm Hg

- No significant ECG abnormality within the past 14 days

- No New York Heart Association class III or IV disease

- Not pregnant or nursing

- Negative pregnancy test

- Fertile patients must use effective contraception

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

- No history of allergic reaction to compounds of similar chemical or biological
composition to AZD2171

- No ongoing or active infection

- No psychiatric illness or social situation that would preclude study participation

- No other uncontrolled illness

- More than 4 weeks since prior biologic therapy

- More than 4 weeks since prior and no concurrent immunotherapy

- No colony-stimulating factors during the first course of study treatment

- At least 6 weeks since prior chemoembolization

- Patients must have evidence of disease progression or new metastases after prior
chemoembolization

- No prior systemic chemotherapy for this cancer

- No other concurrent chemotherapy

- More than 4 weeks since prior hormonal therapy

- See Disease Characteristics

- At least 6 weeks since prior radiofrequency ablation or other local ablative therapy

- Patients must have evidence of disease progression or new metastases after prior
radiofrequency ablation or other local ablative therapy

- No prior external beam radiotherapy to the primary site

- No prior radiotherapy to ≥ 25% of the bone marrow

- No concurrent radiotherapy

- See Disease Characteristics

- No concurrent combination antiretroviral therapy for HIV-positive patients

- No concurrent drugs or biologics with proarrhythmic potential