Sunitinib in Treating Patients With Kidney Cancer That Cannot Be Removed by Surgery

OBJECTIVES: * To determine the percentage of patients with renal cell carcinoma and unresectable primary tumors who can achieve sufficient tumor response, according to the operating surgeon, to undergo nephrectomy after sunitinib therapy. * To evaluate the safety of sunitinib in patients with renal cell carcinoma and unresectable primary tumors, including analysis of the morbidity of surgery after sunitinib therapy * To evaluate the objective response rate of patients with renal cell carcinoma and unresectable primary tumors who receive sunitinib therapy. OUTLINE: A single arm phase II study of sunitinib in patients with unresectable renal cell carcinoma (RCC) will be conducted, including patients with and without distant metastases. Patients receive oral sunitinib malate once daily on days 1-28. Treatment repeats every 42 days in the absence of disease progression or unacceptable toxicity. Surgery is performed if and when primary tumor becomes resectable. Patients with residual and/or metastatic disease may resume sunitinib malate within 8 weeks after surgery. After completion of study treatment, patients are followed periodically. PROJECTED ACCRUAL: A total of 31 patients will be accrued for this study.