Doxorubicin and Gemcitabine in Treating Patients With Locally Recurrent or Metastatic Unresectable Renal Cell Carcinoma

OBJECTIVES: * Determine the response rate of patients with locally recurrent or metastatic unresectable renal cell cancer with sarcomatoid features treated with doxorubicin and gemcitabine. * Determine the progression-free survival and overall survival of patients treated with this regimen. * Determine the toxic effects of this regimen in these patients. OUTLINE: This is a multicenter study. Patients receive doxorubicin intravenously (IV) and gemcitabine IV over 30 minutes on day 1. Patients also receive filgrastim (G-CSF) subcutaneously (SC) on days 2- or 3-10 or pegfilgrastim SC on day 2. Courses repeat every 2 weeks in the absence of disease progression or unacceptable toxicity. After 6 courses, patients undergo a MUGA scan. Patients with a stable\* left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) continue therapy as above. Patients who reach a total doxorubicin dose of 450 mg/m\^2 and are found to have unstable cardiac function or who have an abnormal LVEF continue therapy with gemcitabine alone. NOTE: \*Stable cardiac function is defined as no decrease more than 15% of LVEF in absolute number and LVEF at least 35% in total function by MUGA. Patients are followed every 3 months for 2 years and then every 6 months for 1 year. ACTUAL ACCRUAL: A total of 39 patients were accrued for this study.