Chemotherapy in Treating Patients With Advanced Kidney Cancer

You may be eligible if

• DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:
• Histologically or cytologically confirmed locally advanced unresectable, locally recurrent, or metastatic renal cell carcinoma
• Measurable disease
• * At least 20 mm with conventional techniques OR
• * At least 10 mm with spiral CT scan
• No nonmeasurable disease only including:
• * Bone lesions
• * Leptomeningeal disease
• * Ascites
• * Pleural/pericardial effusion
• * Lymphangitis cutis/pulmonis
• * Abdominal masses not confirmed and followed by imaging techniques
• * Cystic lesions
• No known brain metastases
• * History of brain metastases that have been resected and/or irradiated with subsequent normal brain CT scan allowed
• PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:
• Age:
• 18 and over
• Performance status:
• ECOG 0-2 OR
• Karnofsky 60-100%
• Life expectancy:
• More than 12 weeks
• Hematopoietic:
• Absolute neutrophil count at least 1,500/mm3
• Platelet count at least 100,000/mm3
• Hepatic:
• Bilirubin no greater than 1.5 mg/dL
• AST no greater than 2.5 times upper limit of normal
• Renal:
• Creatinine no greater than 2 mg/dL OR
• Creatinine clearance at least 60 mL/min
• Cardiovascular:
• No symptomatic congestive heart failure, unstable angina pectoris, or cardiac arrhythmia
• Other:
• Not pregnant or nursing
• Fertile patients must use effective contraception
• No other prior malignancy within the past 2 years except nonmelanoma skin cancer or carcinoma in situ of any site
• No history of allergic reactions attributed to compounds of similar chemical or biologic composition to fenretinide
• No other concurrent uncontrolled illness (e.g., ongoing or active infection)
• No concurrent psychiatric illness or social situation that would preclude study
• History of HIV allowed if no active infection or history of retinitis
• No history of retinal disease, night blindness, or difficulty seeing in the dark
• PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:
• Biologic therapy:
• Prior biologic therapy allowed
• Chemotherapy:
• No more than 1 prior chemotherapy regimen
• Endocrine therapy:
• Not specified
• Radiotherapy:
• See Disease Characteristics
• At least 4 weeks since prior radiotherapy
• Surgery:
• See Disease Characteristics
• Other:
• Recovered from prior therapy
• No prior systemic retinoid therapy
• No concurrent antioxidants (e.g., ascorbic acid or vitamin E)
• No other concurrent therapy for renal cell carcinoma