Doxorubicin By Infusion or Chemoembolization in Treating Patients With Advanced Unresectable Hepatocellular Carcinoma (Liver Cancer)

RATIONALE: Drugs used in chemotherapy, such as doxorubicin, work in different ways to stop the growth of tumor cells, either by killing the cells or by stopping the cells from dividing. Chemoembolization kills tumor cells by blocking the blood flow to the tumor and keeping chemotherapy drugs near the tumor. It is not yet known whether doxorubicin is more effective with or without chemoembolization in treating unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma (liver cancer). PURPOSE: This randomized phase III trial is studying doxorubicin given by infusion to see how well it works compared to doxorubicin given by chemoembolization in treating patients with advanced liver cancer than cannot be removed by surgery.