Atrasentan in Treating Patients With Locally Recurrent or Metastatic Kidney Cancer

DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS: * Histologically confirmed locally recurrent or metastatic renal cell carcinoma that is not amenable to resection * Progressive disease, defined by 1 of the following: * The appearance of 1 or more new lesions * At least a 20% increase in the sum of the longest diameters of the target lesions (taking as a reference the smallest sum of the longest diameters recorded since the baseline measurements) (measurable disease stratum closed to accrual as of 7/16/04.) * One of the following disease characteristics: * Disease manifested solely by bone metastases * At least 1 measurable lesion (measurable disease stratum closed to accrual as of 7/16/04.) * At least 20 mm by conventional techniques OR at least 10 mm by spiral CT scan * No prior or concurrent brain metastases PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS: Age: * 18 and over Performance status: * ECOG 0-2 Life expectancy: * Not specified Hematopoietic: * WBC at least 2,000/mm\^3 OR * Absolute neutrophil count greater than 1,000/mm\^3 * Platelet count at least 100,000/mm\^3 * Hemoglobin at least 9 g/dL Hepatic: * Bilirubin less than 1.5 mg/dL * AST and/or ALT less than 1.5 times upper limit of normal (ULN) Renal: * Creatinine less than 1.5 times ULN Cardiovascular: * No history of New York Heart Association class II-IV heart disease Pulmonary: * No significant pulmonary disease requiring pulse steroid therapy within the past 3 months Other: * No other malignancy within the past 5 years except curatively treated basal cell or squamous cell skin cancer or carcinoma in situ of the cervix * No other serious concurrent medical illness that would preclude study participation * No active infection * Not pregnant or nursing * Negative pregnancy test * Fertile patients must use effective contraception PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY: Biologic therapy: * At least 4 weeks since prior biologic therapy/immunotherapy and recovered * No more than 1 prior regimen\* of biologic therapy/immunotherapy (e.g., interleukin-2, interferon, thalidomide, or combination) * Prior sargramostim (GM-CSF) is not counted as prior biological therapy NOTE: \*A regimen is considered to be at least 4 weeks of treatment Chemotherapy: * No prior chemotherapy Endocrine therapy: * At least 4 weeks since prior hormonal agents (e.g., megestrol or tamoxifen) and recovered Radiotherapy: * At least 4 weeks since prior radiotherapy and recovered * Prior radiotherapy for local control or palliation of painful bony lesion allowed * No prior radiotherapy to target lesions * No concurrent radiotherapy for palliation or any other indication Surgery: * At least 4 weeks since prior surgery and recovered * Prior nephrectomy allowed Other: * Prior bisphosphonates allowed