DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:

• Histologically proven metastatic renal cell carcinoma
• No brain metastases

PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:

Age:

• Over 18

Performance status:

• ECOG 0-2

Life expectancy:

• At least 12 weeks

Hematopoietic:

• WBC at least 3,500/mm^3
• Hematocrit at least 30%
• Platelet count at least 100,000/mm^3

Hepatic:

• Bilirubin no greater than 2.0 mg/dL
• AST and ALT no greater than 1.5 times upper limit of normal

Renal:

• Creatinine no greater than 1.5 mg/dL OR
• Creatinine clearance at least 60 mL/min

Cardiovascular:

• No uncontrolled hypertension
• No myocardial infarction within the past 8 weeks

Other:

• Not pregnant or nursing
• Fertile patients must use effective contraception
• No other prior malignancy within the past 5 years except nonmelanomatous skin cancer, carcinoma in situ of cervix, prostate intraepithelial neoplasia, or superficial bladder cancer
• No significant psychiatric disease
• No active infection

PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:

Biologic therapy:

• No more than 2 prior biologic response modifier regimens
• No concurrent biologic therapy

Chemotherapy:

• No prior chemotherapy
• No other concurrent chemotherapy

Endocrine therapy:

• Not specified

Radiotherapy:

• Prior radiotherapy allowed if measurable disease is outside radiation port
• At least 28 days since prior radiotherapy
• No concurrent radiotherapy

Surgery:

• Prior surgery allowed