BAY 56-3722 in Treating Patients With Recurrent, Unresectable, or Metastatic Kidney Cancer

DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:

* Histologically confirmed renal cell carcinoma (RCC)
* Recurrent AND unresectable disease OR
* Unresectable disease OR
* Metastatic disease
* At least 1 bidimensionally measurable lesion by CT scan or MRI
* No metastatic brain or meningeal tumors unless more than 3 months since prior surgery and/or gamma knife radiosurgery, 2 subsequent negative imaging studies at least 4 weeks apart, clinically stable, and no concurrent corticosteroids or anticonvulsants

PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:

Age:

* 18 and over

Performance status:

* ECOG 0-2

Life expectancy:

* At least 12 weeks

Hematopoietic:

* Absolute neutrophil count at least 1,500/mm\^3
* Platelet count at least 100,000/mm\^3
* Hemoglobin at least 9 g/dL

Hepatic:

* Bilirubin no greater than 1.5 times upper limit of normal (ULN)
* AST and ALT less than 2.5 times ULN (5 times ULN if liver metastases present)
* No chronic hepatitis B or C

Renal:

* Creatinine no greater than 1.5 mg/dL
* Calcium normal

Cardiovascular:

* No clinically evident congestive heart failure
* No serious cardiac arrhythmias
* No symptoms of coronary heart disease
* No symptoms of ischemia

Other:

* HIV negative
* No active infections requiring systemic antibacterial, antifungal, or antiviral therapy
* No other malignancy within the past 3 years except carcinoma in situ of the cervix, adequately treated basal cell carcinoma, or superficial bladder tumors (Ta, Tis, or T1)
* No substance abuse
* No medical, psychological, or social conditions that would preclude study
* No known or suspected allergy to study drug or any other study agents
* Not pregnant or nursing
* Negative pregnancy test
* Fertile patients must use effective contraception during and for at least 6 months after study

PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:

Biologic therapy:

* No prior anticancer vaccine therapy
* No prior bone marrow transplantation or stem cell rescue
* More than 4 weeks since prior thalidomide and bevacizumab
* At least 4 weeks since prior interleukin-2 and interferon
* No more than 2 prior regimens
* No concurrent bone marrow transplantation or stem cell rescue

Chemotherapy:

* No prior cytotoxic chemotherapy
* No concurrent cytotoxic chemotherapy

Endocrine therapy:

* See Disease Characteristics
* No prior hormonal therapy for RCC
* No concurrent hormonal therapy for RCC

Radiotherapy:

* See Disease Characteristics
* More than 4 weeks since prior radiotherapy
* No prior radiotherapy to indicator lesion unless progression is documented

Surgery:

* See Disease Characteristics
* More than 3 weeks since prior major surgery

Other:

* At least 4 weeks since prior investigational anticancer drugs
* No other concurrent investigational anticancer drugs