Inclusion Criteria

DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:

- Histologically confirmed renal cell carcinoma

- Stage III or IV disease involving invasions beyond Gerota's fascia, regional
lymph node involvement, or distant metastases OR

- Recurrent disease involving lymph node metastases or soft tissue nodules

- Measurable disease by anatomic-based radiological tests (unless no evidence of
disease as documented by prior surgery)

- Planned resection of tumor to establish an autologous tumor cell line

- No active CNS metastases such as brain metastases, spinal cord compression, or
leptomeningeal disease

- Prior brain metastases or spinal cord compression allowed provided there is
radiographic evidence of lack of progression and no requirement for
pharmacologic doses of corticosteroids

PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:

Age:

- 16 and over

Performance status:

- ECOG 0-2

Life expectancy:

- At least 4 months

Hematopoietic:

- Hematocrit greater than 25%

- Platelet count greater than 100,000/mm3

- No ongoing transfusion requirements

- No active blood clotting or bleeding diathesis

Hepatic:

- Bilirubin no greater than 2.0 mg/dL

- Albumin at least 3.0 g/dL

- No significant hepatic dysfunction

Renal:

- Creatinine no greater than 2.0 mg/dL

- No significant renal dysfunction

Cardiovascular:

- No underlying cardiac disease associated with New York Heart Association class III or
IV heart function

- No unstable angina related to atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease

Other:

- No other malignancy within the past 5 years except carcinoma in situ, basal cell or
localized squamous cell skin cancer, or localized prostate cancer

- No active infection

- No other active medical condition that could be eminently life threatening

- Not pregnant

- Fertile patients must use effective contraception

PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:

Biologic therapy:

- Other prior putative vaccines allowed

- Recovered from prior biologic therapy

- No concurrent biologic therapy except epoetin alfa for patients with hematocrit less
than 36%

Chemotherapy:

- At least 3 weeks since prior chemotherapy and recovered

- No concurrent chemotherapy

Endocrine therapy:

- See Disease Characteristics

- No concurrent corticosteroids

Radiotherapy:

- At least 3 weeks since prior radiotherapy (including whole-brain radiotherapy) and
recovered

- No concurrent radiotherapy

Surgery:

- See Disease Characteristics

- Recovered from prior surgery

Other:

- Concurrent bisphosphonates allowed for patients with lytic bone metastases

- No concurrent digoxin or other medications designed to improve cardiac output

- No other concurrent anticancer therapy or investigational therapy