Inclusion Criteria

DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:

- Histologically confirmed metastatic renal cell adenocarcinoma, meeting 1 of the
following criteria:

- More than 1 metastatic site and good performance status (Karnofsky score
80-100%)

- Sole metastatic site with Karnofsky score = 80%

- Karnofsky 90% or 100% not eligible

- No combination of several metastatic sites and liver metastases and a time
interval from primary tumor to metastases of < 1 year

- Nonmeasurable disease and/or few numbers of lesions must be confirmed histologically
and as progressive disease

- The following metastases are allowed:

- Lung with or without mediastinum lymph nodes

- Bone

- Pleura (solid or liquid with positive cytology)

- Thoracic lymph nodes

- Abdominal lymph nodes

- Superficial lymph nodes

- Liver

- Subcutaneous skin/tissue

- Contralateral kidney

- Nephrectomy site

- Other organs

- Prior metastases allowed provided the following criteria are met:

- Evidence of progressive disease within the past 3 months

- Metastases evaluated by noninvasive methods

- No evidence of active brain metastases

- Prior brain metastases allowed provided all of the following criteria are met:

- Disease is stable

- Reductive therapy (surgery or radiotherapy) completed at least 3 weeks
prior to study entry

- Metastases have not progressed (confirmed by CT scan or MRI)

- No concurrent corticosteroids required

PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:

- See Disease Characteristics

- Creatinine < 1.8 mg/dL

- Hematocrit ≥ 30%

- WBC ≥ 4,000/mm^3

- Platelet count ≥ 120,000/mm^3

- Bilirubin normal

- LVEF ≥ 50%

- Not pregnant or nursing

- Negative pregnancy test

- Fertile patients must use effective contraception

- No HIV positivity

- No severe infection requiring antibiotic therapy

- No chronic hepatitis

- No severe lung, liver or kidney condition that would preclude study treatment

- No hepatitis B surface antigen positivity

- No severe neuropsychiatric condition or epilepsy

- No serious thromboembolitic disorder

- No severe cardiac dysfunction (e.g., congestive heart failure, uncontrolled
hypertension, serious arrhythmia, or coronary disease)

- No other prior or concurrent primary malignancies except for basal cell skin cancer
or carcinoma in situ of the cervix

- No geographical, psychological, or familial condition that would preclude study
participation

PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:

- More than 6 weeks since prior wide-field radiotherapy

- No prior systemic chemotherapy

- No prior organ transplantation

- No prior cytokines

- No concurrent hormonal therapy

- No concurrent anticancer chemotherapy

- No concurrent corticosteroids

- No other concurrent immunotherapy

- No other concurrent investigational agents or therapies