Bevacizumab and Interleukin-2 in Treating Patients With Metastatic Kidney Cancer

DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:

* Histologically confirmed metastatic renal cell carcinoma (RCC) with predominantly clear cell histology
* Measurable disease
* No history of tumor-related hemorrhage
* No history of CNS or brain metastases

PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:

* Karnofsky performance status ≥ 80%
* Absolute neutrophil count ≥ 1,000/mm\^3
* Platelet count ≥ 100,000/mm\^3
* Hemoglobin ≥ 9 g/dL (transfusion or recombinant erythropoietin growth factors allowed)
* AST ≤ 2 times upper limit of normal (ULN) (5 times ULN if due to liver metastases)
* Serum total bilirubin ≤ 2 times ULN (except for patients with Gilbert's disease)
* Serum creatinine ≤ 1.5 mg/dL OR creatinine clearance ≥ 60 mL/min
* FEV\_1 ≥ 2.0 L or ≥ 75% of predicted

  * Pulmonary function testing required for patients over age 50 or with significant pulmonary or smoking history
* No history of cerebrovascular accident or transient ischemic attacks
* No evidence of any of the following cardiac conditions\*:

  * Congestive heart failure
  * Symptoms of coronary artery disease
  * Myocardial infarction \< 6 months prior to study entry
  * Serious cardiac arrhythmias
  * Unstable angina NOTE: \*Patients \> 40 years old or who have had a previous myocardial infarction \> 6 months prior to study entry are required to have a negative or low probability cardiac stress test for cardiac ischemia
* Not pregnant or nursing
* Negative pregnancy test
* Fertile patients must use effective contraception
* No other malignancy within the past 5 years except nonmelanoma skin cancer or noninvasive cancer, such as cervical carcinoma in situ, superficial bladder cancer without local recurrence, or breast cancer in situ

  * Patients with a history of another invasive malignancy must be in complete remission for ≥ 5 years
* No positive serology for HIV, hepatitis B, or hepatitis C
* No significant co-morbid illness, such as uncontrolled diabetes or active infection, that would preclude study treatment
* No history of inflammatory bowel disease or other serious autoimmune disease

  * Thyroiditis or rheumatoid arthritis allowed
* No uncontrolled hypertension (i.e., blood pressure \> 150/100 mm Hg)
* Proteinuria ≤ 3+ by dipstick OR proteinuria \< 2 gm by 24-hour urine collection
* Urine protein:creatinine ration \< 1.0
* No abdominal fistula, gastrointestinal perforation, or intra-abdominal abscess within 6 months prior to study entry
* No significant traumatic injury within the past 28 days
* No serious, nonhealing wound, ulcer, or bone fracture
* No active bleeding
* No history of other serious hemorrhage, bleeding diathesis, or underlying coagulopathy
* No history of deep venous thrombosis, clinically significant peripheral vascular disease, or other thrombotic event

PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:

* No organ allografts
* At least 4 weeks since prior radiotherapy or surgery and recovered
* No prior systemic therapy for metastatic RCC
* No prior bevacizumab or interleukin-2
* At least 2 weeks since prior steroids
* No major surgery or open biopsy within the past 28 days
* No minor surgical procedures, fine needle aspirations, or core biopsies within the past 7 days, except central venous catheter placement
* No concurrent major surgery
* No concurrent corticosteroids or other immunosuppressants