Octreotide in Treating Patients With Locally Advanced or Metastatic Liver Cancer

DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS: Newly diagnosed or recurrent hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) as defined by tissue biopsy OR alpha fetoprotein (AFP) > 1,000 ng/mL with compatible mass on CT scan or MRI Recurrence of previously resected HCC will not require tissue confirmation if there is clear radiographic recurrence, in the judgment of the investigator Locally advanced OR metastatic disease Unmeasurable disease allowed if initial diagnosis was made according to the above criteria and/or recurrence has been confirmed by tissue biopsy or radiological imaging CLIP score ≥ 3 Not a candidate for surgical resection or liver transplant Not a candidate for loco-regional therapy (e.g., ablation, embolization, hepatic arterial infusion therapy), but could have received such therapy in the past No fibrolamellar HCC No clinically apparent central nervous system metastases or carcinomatous meningitis PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS: Life expectancy ≥ 8 weeks Karnofsky performance status 60-100% Hemoglobin ≥ 8.5 g/dL Platelet count ≥ 50,000/mm³ Total bilirubin ≤ 5.0 mg/dL AST or ALT ≤ 5 times upper limit of normal (ULN) Creatinine ≤ 2 times ULN PT ≤ 28 INR ≤ 2.5 No active variceal bleeding within the past 3 months No encephalopathy grade 3-4 No ongoing ethanol or intravenous drug abuse Not pregnant or breast feeding PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY: See Disease Characteristics Any number of prior therapies (e.g., chemotherapy, resection, embolization, or radiofrequency/ethanol ablation therapy) allowed No concurrent chemotherapy, radiotherapy, or immunotherapy