Chemotherapy in Treating Patients With Advanced Kidney Cancer

DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:

* Histologically or cytologically confirmed locally advanced unresectable, locally recurrent, or metastatic renal cell carcinoma
* Measurable disease

  * At least 20 mm with conventional techniques OR
  * At least 10 mm with spiral CT scan
* No nonmeasurable disease only including:

  * Bone lesions
  * Leptomeningeal disease
  * Ascites
  * Pleural/pericardial effusion
  * Lymphangitis cutis/pulmonis
  * Abdominal masses not confirmed and followed by imaging techniques
  * Cystic lesions
* No known brain metastases

  * History of brain metastases that have been resected and/or irradiated with subsequent normal brain CT scan allowed

PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:

Age:

* 18 and over

Performance status:

* ECOG 0-2 OR
* Karnofsky 60-100%

Life expectancy:

* More than 12 weeks

Hematopoietic:

* Absolute neutrophil count at least 1,500/mm3
* Platelet count at least 100,000/mm3

Hepatic:

* Bilirubin no greater than 1.5 mg/dL
* AST no greater than 2.5 times upper limit of normal

Renal:

* Creatinine no greater than 2 mg/dL OR
* Creatinine clearance at least 60 mL/min

Cardiovascular:

* No symptomatic congestive heart failure, unstable angina pectoris, or cardiac arrhythmia

Other:

* Not pregnant or nursing
* Fertile patients must use effective contraception
* No other prior malignancy within the past 2 years except nonmelanoma skin cancer or carcinoma in situ of any site
* No history of allergic reactions attributed to compounds of similar chemical or biologic composition to fenretinide
* No other concurrent uncontrolled illness (e.g., ongoing or active infection)
* No concurrent psychiatric illness or social situation that would preclude study
* History of HIV allowed if no active infection or history of retinitis
* No history of retinal disease, night blindness, or difficulty seeing in the dark

PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:

Biologic therapy:

* Prior biologic therapy allowed

Chemotherapy:

* No more than 1 prior chemotherapy regimen

Endocrine therapy:

* Not specified

Radiotherapy:

* See Disease Characteristics
* At least 4 weeks since prior radiotherapy

Surgery:

* See Disease Characteristics

Other:

* Recovered from prior therapy
* No prior systemic retinoid therapy
* No concurrent antioxidants (e.g., ascorbic acid or vitamin E)
* No other concurrent therapy for renal cell carcinoma