DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:

• Histologically confirmed meningioma or intracranial hemangiopericytoma or hemangioblastoma

  • Recurrent or unresectable disease
  • Benign, atypical, or malignant meningioma
  • Neurofibromatosis (NF) type 1 or type 2 allowed

• Classic radiographic picture of meningioma allowed provided the tumor is not surgically accessible

  • Must undergo review at a multidisciplinary brain tumor conference including neurosurgery and neuroradiology to determine that the patient is appropriate for this study
• Unequivocal evidence of tumor progression by MRI or CT scan

• Patients with malignant meningioma must be on a stable dose of steroids for at least 5 days prior to baseline imaging

  • Patients with benign or atypical meningioma are not required to be on a stable dose of steroids
• Patients who have not had prior surgery or radiotherapy for meningioma will be reviewed at a multidisciplinary brain tumor conference including neurosurgery and radiation oncology to determine that the patient is appropriate for this study
• Patients with a history of NF may have other stable CNS tumors (e.g., schwannoma, acoustic neuroma, or ependymoma) provided those lesions have been stable in size for the past 6 months

PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:

Inclusion criteria:

• Karnofsky performance status ≥ 60%
• Absolute neutrophil count (ANC) ≥ 1,000/mm^3
• Platelet count ≥ 100,000/mm^3
• Hemoglobin ≥ 8 g/dL
• Serum aspartate transaminase (AST; serum glutamic oxaloacetic transaminase [SGOT]) ≤ 2.5 x upper limit of normal (ULN)
• Serum alanine transaminase (ALT; serum glutamic pyruvic transaminase [SGPT]) ≤ 2.5 x ULN
• Creatinine ≤ 2.0 mg/dL
• PT, INR, and PTT ≤ 1.5 x ULN
• Total serum bilirubin ≤ 1.5 mg/dL
• Not pregnant or nursing
• Negative pregnancy test
• Women must be surgically sterile, postmenopausal, or agree to use effective contraception during study therapy and men must be surgically sterile or agree to use effective contraception
• Patients who have not had prior surgery or radiotherapy for their meningioma will be reviewed at a multidisciplinary brain tumor conference including neurosurgery and radiation oncology to determine that the patient is appropriate for this study

Exclusion criteria:

• History of any other cancer, except nonmelanoma skin cancer or carcinoma in situ of the cervix, unless in complete remission and off all therapy for the disease for a minimum of 3 years

• Any of the following within the past 6 months:

  • Myocardial infarction
  • Severe/unstable angina
  • Coronary/peripheral artery bypass graft
  • Symptomatic congestive heart failure
  • Cerebrovascular accident or transient ischemic attack
  • Pulmonary embolism
• Ongoing cardiac dysrhythmias ≥ grade 2 by NCI CTCAE Version 3.0
• Prolonged QTc interval on baseline EKG (> 450 msec for males or > 470 msec for females)
• Uncontrolled hypertension (> 150/100 mm Hg despite optimal medical therapy), elevated diastolic blood pressure (BP), systolic BP or both
• History of intracranial hemorrhage
• Pre-existing thyroid abnormality, with thyroid function tests that cannot be maintained in the normal range with medication
• Known human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS)-related illness, or other active infection

PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:

Inclusion criteria:

• See Disease Characteristics

• At least 4 weeks since prior standard external beam radiotherapy , interstitial brachytherapy, or radiosurgery in any combination and there must be subsequent evidence of tumor progression

  • Patients with prior interstitial brachytherapy or stereotactic radiosurgery must have confirmation of true progressive disease rather than radiation necrosis based on PET, MR spectroscopy, or surgical documentation of disease

• At least 4 weeks since prior radiotherapy, radiosurgery, or chemotherapy

  • There is no limitation on the number of prior surgeries, radiotherapy, radiosurgery treatments, or chemotherapy

• Recent resection for recurrent tumor allowed provide the patient has recovered from the effects of surgery and has residual disease that can be evaluated

  • CT scan/MRI should be done no later than 96 hours in the immediate postoperative period or at least 4 weeks post-operatively

    • If the 96 hour scan is more than 14 days before registration, it should be repeated
  • Must wait at least 14 days after surgery, without complications, before start of study treatment

Exclusion criteria:

• Any prior tyrosine kinase inhibitor therapy (i.e., SU011248, sorafenib, semaxinib, or axitinib)
• Any other concurrent investigational drugs
• Concurrent enzyme-inducing antiepileptic drugs
• Concurrent St. John's wort
• Concurrent treatment on another clinical trial except supportive care trials or non-treatment trials (e.g., quality of life studies)

• Concurrent therapeutic doses of warfarin

  • Concurrent low dose warfarin (≤ 2 mg/day) for thromboembolic prophylaxis is allowed