Inclusion Criteria

DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:

- Histologically confirmed renal cell carcinoma

- Metastatic disease

- No prior therapy for advanced disease

- Tumor sample available for molecular analysis with prior registration on MSKCC IRB #
89-076

- Bidimensionally measurable disease

- No brain metastases unless completely resected and without evidence of recurrence for
at least six months

PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:

Age

- 18 and over

Performance status

- Karnofsky 70-100%

Life expectancy

- Not specified

Hematopoietic

- WBC at least 3,000/mm3

- Platelet count at least 100,000/mm3

Hepatic

- Bilirubin no greater than 1.5 mg/dL

- SGOT no greater than 2.5 times upper limit of normal (unless due to hepatic
metastases)

- Hepatitis B surface antigen negative

- Hepatitis C negative

Renal

- Creatinine no greater than 2 mg/dL

Cardiovascular

- No severe cardiac disease

- No New York Heart Association class III or IV cardiac disease

- No myocardial infarction within the past 12 months

- No ventricular tachyarrhythmias requiring ongoing treatment

- No unstable angina

Pulmonary

- No severe asthma requiring chronic systemic steroids

Other

- HIV negative

- Negative pregnancy test

- Fertile patients must use effective contraception

- No malignancy within the past 2 years except basal cell or squamous cell skin cancer,
superficial bladder cancer, or localized prostate cancer

- Patients who have undergone potentially curative therapy and have been deemed to
be at low risk for recurrence are eligible

- No medically significant psychiatric disease (e.g., endogenous depression, psychosis,
or bipolar disease) requiring hospitalization

- No prior or active autoimmune disease

- Medically controlled diabetes or thyroid dysfunction allowed

- No clinically significant acute viral or bacterial infection that requires specific
therapy

PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:

Biologic therapy

- No prior interleukin-2

- No prior interferon alfa

- No concurrent cytokines or biological response modifiers except epoetin alfa in the
case of hematologic compromise

- No concurrent tumor vaccines

- No concurrent monoclonal antibodies

- No concurrent bone marrow/stem cell transplantation

Chemotherapy

- No concurrent cytotoxic agents

Endocrine therapy

- No concurrent high-dose systemic steroids

- Concurrent low-dose corticosteroids (e.g., asthma inhalers, topical creams, or
intra-articular injections) allowed

- No concurrent hormonal therapy (including megestrol)

- Concurrent hormone replacement therapy or oral contraceptives allowed

Radiotherapy

- At least 4 weeks since prior radiotherapy

- No concurrent radiotherapy

Surgery

- See Disease Characteristics

- At least 4 weeks since prior major surgery

- Concurrent nephrectomy allowed

Other

- At least 14 days since prior anti-infectious therapy

- No other concurrent investigational drugs