Sargramostim in Treating Patients With Kidney Cancer That Has Spread to the Lung

Inclusion Criteria

• •DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:
• •Histologically confirmed metastatic renal cell carcinoma for which no known standard therapy that is potentially curative or capable of extending life expectancy exists (e.g., surgery)
• •Measurable metastatic disease in the lung
• •* At least one unidimensionally measurable lesion at least 20 mm by conventional techniques
• •No CNS metastases that require treatment
• •PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:
• •Age
• •18 and over
• •Performance status
• •ECOG 0-2
• •Life expectancy
• •At least 12 weeks
• •Hematopoietic
• •Absolute neutrophil count at least 1,000/mm\^3
• •Platelet count at least 75,000/mm\^3
• •Hemoglobin greater than 8.0 g/dL
• •Hepatic
• •Bilirubin no greater than 2 times upper limit of normal (ULN)
• •AST no greater than 3 times ULN
• •Renal
• •Creatinine no greater than 2.5 times ULN
• •Pulmonary
• •No hemoptysis of grade 3 or greater
• •No reactive airway disease on active therapy
• •Other
• •Not pregnant or nursing
• •Negative pregnancy test
• •Fertile patients must use effective contraception
• •No uncontrolled infection
• •No other metastatic malignancy within the past 3 years except basal cell skin cancer
• •PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:
• •Biologic therapy
• •More than 2 weeks since prior immunotherapy
• •More than 2 weeks since other prior biologic therapy
• •Chemotherapy
• •More than 3 weeks since prior chemotherapy (6 weeks for mitomycin or nitrosoureas)
• •Endocrine therapy
• •More than 2 weeks since prior corticosteroids
• •No concurrent systemic glucocorticoids
• •Radiotherapy
• •More than 2 weeks since prior radiotherapy
• •No prior radiotherapy to more than 10% of total lung volume in the radiation field
• •Other
• •At least 4 weeks since prior bronchodialators
• •No concurrent immunosuppressive agents