Gefitinib and PEG-Interferon Alfa-2b in Treating Patients With Unresectable or Metastatic Kidney Cancer

DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:

* Histologically or cytologically confirmed renal cell carcinoma

  * Metastatic or advanced/unresectable disease
* Measurable or nonmeasurable disease as defined by RECIST criteria
* No uncontrolled brain metastases

  * Patients with adequately treated brain metastases who are not taking anticonvulsants and corticosteroids may be eligible

PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:

* Karnofsky performance status 60-100%
* Life expectancy ≥ 12 weeks
* WBC ≥ 3,500/mm³
* Platelet count ≥ 100,000/mm³
* Absolute granulocyte count ≥ 1,500/mm³
* Creatinine ≤ 2.0 mg/dL OR creatinine clearance ≥ 50 mL/min
* Bilirubin ≤ 1.5 mg/dL
* AST ≤ 2 times upper limit of normal (ULN)
* Not pregnant or nursing
* Negative pregnancy test
* Fertile patients must use effective contraception
* No other malignancy within the past 5 years except adequately treated basal cell or squamous cell carcinoma of the skin, carcinoma in situ of the cervix, or adequately treated stage I or II cancer from which the patient is currently in complete remission
* No known severe hypersensitivity to gefitinib or its excipients
* No incomplete healing from previous oncologic or other major surgery
* No unresolved chronic toxicity \> grade 2 from previous anticancer therapy (except alopecia and anemia)
* No evidence of clinically active interstitial lung disease

  * Patients with chronic stable radiographic changes who are asymptomatic are eligible
* No evidence of severe or uncontrolled systemic disease (e.g., unstable or uncompensated respiratory, cardiac, hepatic, or renal disease)
* No other significant clinical disorder or laboratory finding that would preclude study participation

PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:

* More than 30 days since prior nonapproved or investigational drugs
* More than 6 weeks since prior aldesleukin or interferon and recovered
* At least 3 weeks since prior radiotherapy
* No prior gefitinib
* Prior chemotherapy or biological therapy allowed
* Prior or concurrent bisphosphonate therapy for bone metastases allowed
* No concurrent phenytoin, carbamazepine, rifampin, barbiturates, phenobarbital, or Hypericum perforatum (St. John's wort)
* No other concurrent agents specifically designed to inhibit the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR)
* No concurrent radiotherapy to measurable lesions