Sunitinib Malate or Sorafenib Tosylate in Treating Patients With Kidney Cancer That Was Removed By Surgery

Inclusion Criteria

• Pre-surgical criteria:
• Patients must have primary-intact renal cell carcinoma, eligible for nephrectomy with curative intent
• Tumors >= 4 cm AND/OR macroscopic fully resectable nodes AND/OR surgically resectable renal vein thrombus AND/OR surgically resectable inferior vena caval thrombus by radiologic criteria to be clinically >= pT1bNany (resectable) M0 disease
• Multifocal ipsilateral renal cell carcinoma is allowed provided fully resectable and does not exceed inclusion criteria
• Patients must have no history of distant metastases
• No prior anti-cancer therapy for renal cell carcinoma is permitted in either the adjuvant or neoadjuvant setting; this includes metastectomy for renal cell carcinoma, or radiation therapy to the renal bed
• Patients must not have other current malignancies, other than basal cell skin cancer, squamous cell skin cancer, in situ cervical cancer, ductal or lobular carcinoma in situ of the breast; patients with other malignancies are eligible if they have been continuously disease-free for >= 5 years prior to the time of registration
• Patients must have no serious intercurrent illness including, but not limited to, the following: clinically significant cardiovascular disease (e.g. uncontrolled hypertension, myocardial infarction, unstable angina); New York Heart Association grade II or greater congestive heart failure; serious cardiac arrhythmia requiring medication; grade II or greater peripheral vascular disease; or psychiatric illness/social situations that would limit compliance with study requirements
• Patients must not have any of the following within the 6 months prior to study drug administration: myocardial infarction, severe/unstable angina, coronary/peripheral artery bypass graft, symptomatic congestive heart failure, cerebrovascular accident or transient ischemic attack, or pulmonary embolism
• Patient must not have ongoing ventricular cardiac dysrhythmias of National Cancer Institute Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events (NCI CTCAE) version 4.0 grade >= 2; patients with a history of serious ventricular arrhythmia (ventricular tachycardia [VT] or ventricular fibrillation [VF] >= 3 beats in a row) are also excluded; additionally, patients with ongoing atrial fibrillation are not eligible
• Patients must have corrected QT (QTc) interval = diastolic blood pressure 100 mm Hg despite optimal medical therapy)
• Patient must not have pre-existing thyroid abnormality with thyroid stimulating hormone that cannot be maintained in the normal range with medication
• If female, patient must not be pregnant or breastfeeding; all females of childbearing potential must have a blood test or urine study within 2 weeks prior to pre-registration to rule out pregnancy; if pre-registration occurs prior to surgery, the blood or urine study must be repeated within 2 weeks prior to randomization to rule out pregnancy; (note: should a woman become pregnant while participating in this study, she should inform her treating physician immediately)
• Women of child-bearing potential and men must agree to use an accepted and effective method of contraception prior to study entry and for the duration of study participation; should a woman become pregnant while participating in this study, she should inform her treating physician immediately; if a man impregnates a woman while participating in this study, he should inform his treating physician immediately as well
• Patients with known human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) are excluded
• ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA FOLLOWING RADICAL OR PARTIAL NEPHRECTOMY
• The date of randomization must be less than 12 weeks after the date of surgery; patients must have recovered from any surgical related complications
• Within 4 weeks prior to randomization, patients must meet preoperative eligibility requirements
• Patients must have histologically or cytologically confirmed renal cell carcinoma. Using 2002 (American Joint Committee on Cancer [AJCC] 6th ed