Propranolol Hydrochloride in Treating Patients With Locally Recurrent or Metastatic Solid Tumors That Cannot Be Removed By Surgery

Patients must have histologically-proven locally-recurrent or metastatic solid tumor; the first 10 patients may have cancer of any histology; preference will be given to patients with metastatic ovarian cancer, breast cancer, and malignant melanoma, as these malignancies have been shown to be sensitive to manipulation of the beta-adrenergic receptor; the final twenty-five patients to be accrued must have locally-recurrent or metastatic malignant melanoma that is not surgically resectable. An additional cohort of 10 patients with BCLC stages A to C locally advanced or metastatic hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) that is not surgically resectable will also be enrolled (See appendix for BCLC staging system). Patients with liver transplantation will not be eligible.

The diagnosis of hepatocellular carcinoma may be made by one of the following methods:

1. Pathologically (histologically or cytologically) proven diagnosis of HCC.

2. At least one solid liver lesion or vascular tumor thrombosis (involving portal vein, IVC and/or hepatic vein) \> 1 cm with arterial enhancement and delayed washout on multiphasic computerized tomography (CT) or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in the setting of cirrhosis or chronic hepatitis B or C without cirrhosis.

3. For patients whose CURRENT disease is vascular only: Enhancing vascular thrombosis (involving portal vein, IVC and/or hepatic vein) demonstrating early arterial enhancement and delayed washout on multi-phasic CT or MRI, in a patient with known HCC (diagnosed according to criteria in (a) or (b).

Patients may have had any number of prior systemic therapies; patients need not have exhausted standard therapy for their disease, but must be stable and must not have actively progressing

Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) performance status =\< 2

Karnofsky \>= 60%

Life expectancy of greater than 6 months

Patients (except for the HCC cohort) must have normal organ and marrow function as defined below:

Leukocytes \>= 3,000/mcL

Absolute neutrophil count \>= 1,500/mcL

Platelets \>= 100,000/mcL

Total bilirubin within normal institutional limits

Aspartate aminotransferase (AST)(serum glutamic oxaloacetic transaminase \[SGOT\])/alanine aminotransferase (ALT)(serum glutamate pyruvate transaminase \[SGPT\]) =\< 2.5 X institutional upper limit of normal

Creatinine within normal institutional limits OR

Creatinine clearance \>= 60 mL/min/1.73 m\^2 for patients with creatinine levels above institutional normal

Parameters for the HCC cohort:

leukocytes \> or = 3000/mcl

absolute neutrophil count \> or =1000/mcl

platelets \> or = 70,000

total bilirubin \< or = 2mg/dL

AST/ALT \<6 times ULN

creatinine within normal institutional limits OR

creatinine clearance \> or = 60mL/min/1.73m2 for patients with creatinine levels above institutional normal level

INR \< or = 1.7

The effects of propranolol on the developing human fetus may be detrimental. For this reason, women of child-bearing potential and men must agree to use adequate contraception (hormonal or barrier method of birth control; abstinence) prior to study entry and for the duration of study participation; should a woman become pregnant or suspect she is pregnant while participating in this study, she should inform her treating physician immediately

Ability to understand and the willingness to sign a written informed consent document

Patients with brain metastases may participate in this clinical study provided that symptoms have been controlled with standard therapies and/or appropriate medications; the principal investigator (P.I.) will carefully evaluate the suitability of patient participation when brain metastases are present

What this study is about