Paclitaxel and Carboplatin in Treating Patients With Locally Advanced or Metastatic Renal Cell Cancer

DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS: * Histologically confirmed collecting duct renal cell carcinoma * Advanced locally recurrent or metastatic disease * Not amenable to resection * Measurable disease * No active CNS metastases * Patients with CNS metastases previously treated with surgical resection and/or radiotherapy are eligible provided there is no evidence of disease progression by head CT scan or MRI at 3 months after the completion of definitive therapy PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS: Age * 18 and over Performance status * ECOG 0-2 Life expectancy * Not specified Hematopoietic * WBC ≥ 3,000/mm\^3 * Absolute granulocyte count ≥ 1,500/mm\^3 * Platelet count ≥ 100,000/mm\^3 Hepatic * Bilirubin ≤ 1.5 times upper limit of normal (ULN) * AST and ALT ≤ 2.5 times ULN Renal * Creatinine ≤ 2 times ULN Other * Not pregnant or nursing * Negative pregnancy test * Fertile patients must use effective contraception * No peripheral neuropathy greater than grade 1 * No other prior malignancy except for curatively treated cancer from which the patient has been disease-free for the length of time considered appropriate for cure of the specific cancer * No known hypersensitivity to Cremophor EL * No active serious infection * No other serious underlying medical condition that would preclude study therapy * No dementia or significantly altered mental status that would preclude giving informed consent PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY: Biologic therapy * No more than 2 prior biologic response modifier (BRM) regimens * Regimens may have included interleukin-2 and/or interferon alfa * At least 4 weeks since prior BRM therapy Chemotherapy * Not specified Endocrine therapy * Concurrent corticosteroids allowed Radiotherapy * See Disease Characteristics * Prior radiotherapy allowed provided there is measurable disease that has not been irradiated OR there is clear evidence of tumor progression in an irradiated site * At least 4 weeks since prior radiotherapy * No concurrent external beam radiotherapy Surgery * See Disease Characteristics * No concurrent major surgery Other * No other concurrent anticancer drugs