Inclusion Criteria

DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:

- Histologically confirmed renal cell carcinoma (RCC)

- Advanced or unresectable disease

- At least 1 measurable lesion

- No active brain metastases

- Prior brain metastases allowed provided patient has been treated with
radiotherapy or surgery AND remains asymptomatic for ≥ 6 months

PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:

Age

- 18 and over

Performance status

- Karnofsky 70-100%

Life expectancy

- Not specified

Hematopoietic

- Absolute neutrophil count ≥ 1,500/mm^3

- Platelet count ≥ 100,000/mm^3

Hepatic

- Bilirubin ≤ 1.5 mg/dL

- AST and ALT ≤ 2 times upper limit of normal (ULN) (5 times ULN if liver metastases
are present)

- No hepatitis A, B, or C infection

Renal

- Creatinine ≤ 2.0 mg/dL

Other

- Not pregnant or nursing

- Negative pregnancy test

- Fertile patients must use effective contraception

- HIV negative

- No known hypersensitivity to thalidomide

- No other serious medical condition, laboratory abnormality, or psychiatric illness
that would preclude giving informed consent

- No other malignancy within the past 5 years except curatively treated basal cell or
squamous cell skin cancer, carcinoma in situ of the cervix or breast, localized
prostate cancer, or superficial bladder cancer

PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:

Biologic therapy

- No more than 1 prior systemic immunotherapy regimen for RCC

- No prior lenalidomide (CC-5013)

- No prior or concurrent thalidomide

Chemotherapy

- No more than 1 prior systemic chemotherapy regimen for RCC

Endocrine therapy

- No more than 1 prior systemic hormonal therapy regimen for RCC

Radiotherapy

- See Disease Characteristics

- No concurrent radiotherapy

Surgery

- See Disease Characteristics

- At least 4 weeks since prior surgery and recovered

Other

- No more than 1 other prior systemic therapy regimen for RCC

- No other concurrent anticancer therapies

- No other concurrent investigational agents