DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:

• Histologically confirmed renal cell cancer

  • Stage IV disease
  • Histology with clear cell component
• Metastatic OR incompletely resected disease
• Non-measurable disease allowed

• Underwent complete or partial nephrectomy more than 90 days ago

  • No unresected primary cancer

• No more than 2 of the following adverse factors:

  • Hemoglobin < 10.0 g/dL
  • Corrected calcium > upper limit of normal (ULN)
  • Lactic dehydrogenase > 1.5 times ULN
  • ECOG performance status 2
• Brain metastasis allowed provided more than 90 days of clinical and radiologic stability after the end of its active treatment

PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:

Age

• Over 18

Performance status

• See Disease Characteristics
• ECOG 0-2

Life expectancy

• Not specified

Hematopoietic

• See Disease Characteristics

Hepatic

• See Disease Characteristics
• SGOT < 3 times normal
• Bilirubin < 2 times normal

Renal

• See Disease Characteristics
• Creatinine clearance > 40 mL/min

Cardiovascular

• None of the following cardiovascular conditions within the past year:

  • Uncontrolled hypertension
  • Myocardial infarction
  • Unstable angina
  • New York Heart Association class II-IV congestive heart failure
  • Serious cardiac arrhythmia requiring medication
  • Class II-IV peripheral vascular disease within the past year
  • Other clinically significant cardiovascular disease

Immunologic

• No history of immunodeficiency disease
• No HIV infection
• No ongoing serious infection

Other

• Not pregnant or nursing
• Negative pregnancy test
• Fertile patients must use two methods of effective contraception during and for 1 month (for women) or 6 months (for men) after study treatment
• Other prior malignancy allowed provided there is no evidence of active disease
• No other medical contraindication to tretinoin or interleukin-2
• No serious non-healing wound, ulcer, or bone fracture

PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:

Biologic therapy

• At least 60 days since prior immunotherapy

Chemotherapy

• At least 60 days since prior cytotoxic chemotherapy

Endocrine therapy

• See Radiotherapy
• No prior corticosteroids at > physiologic replacement doses for > 3 days within the past 90 days
• Concurrent tamoxifen, toremifene, megestrol, or gonadotropin-releasing hormone agonists allowed
• Concurrent inhaled steroids allowed

Radiotherapy

• More than 7 days since prior external-beam radiotherapy

  • No steroid requirement during radiotherapy

Surgery

• See Disease Characteristics
• At least 30 days since other prior debulking surgery

Other

• Prior adjuvant therapy for resected, synchronous stage IV disease allowed

• Prior adjuvant therapy allowed

  • Study therapy is not to be used as adjuvant therapy for completely resected late (> 1 year until identification) solitary site of disease metastasis or non-metastatic disease
• No prior participation in this clinical study
• At least 60 days since other prior anticancer drugs
• Concurrent seizure medication allowed