Vaccine Therapy With or Without Fludarabine in Treating Patients With Stage IV Kidney Cancer

DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS: * Histologically confirmed renal cell carcinoma * Stage IV disease * Received no benefit from standard therapy OR ineligible for standard therapy OR declined standard therapy * At least 1 site of metastatic disease that can be surgically removed AND at least 1 site of metastatic disease than can remain in the patient (indicator lesion) after surgery * Total volume of the site or sites of disease to be surgically removed must be \> 2.0 cm\^3 * Unidimensionally measurable disease * At least 20 mm by conventional techniques OR ≥ 10 mm by spiral CT scan * No brain metastasis PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS: Age * 18 and over Performance status * ECOG 0-2 Life expectancy * More than 6 months Hematopoietic * WBC ≥ 3,000/mm\^3 * Platelet count ≥ 75,000/mm\^3 * Hemoglobin ≥ 10 g/dL Hepatic * SGPT and SGOT ≤ 2.5 times upper limit of normal (ULN) * Bilirubin ≤ 1.5 times ULN * Hepatitis C antibody negative * Hepatitis B surface antigen negative Renal * Creatinine ≤ 1.5 times ULN * Creatinine clearance \> 40 mL/min Cardiovascular * No symptomatic congestive heart failure * No unstable angina pectoris * No cardiac arrhythmia Immunologic * Coomb's test negative * HIV-1 and -2 negative * No active infection * No unexplained fever (temperature \> 100.5° F or 38.1°C) * No lymphocytopenia * No hypogammaglobulinemia * No autoimmune disease or other immunocompromising condition that would preclude study participation * No history of impaired immune response * No history of tuberculosis OR positive PPD skin test * No history of allergic reaction attributed to compounds of similar biological composition to study vaccine * No history of allergic reaction to antibiotics Other * Not pregnant or nursing * Negative pregnancy test * Fertile patients must use effective contraception during and for 1 month after study participation * No psychiatric illness or social situation that would preclude study participation * No other malignancy within the past 5 years except resected basal cell carcinoma or carcinoma in situ of the cervix * No other concurrent illness PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY: Biologic therapy * More than 4 weeks since prior immunotherapy Chemotherapy * More than 4 weeks since prior chemotherapy (6 weeks for nitrosoureas or mitomycin) Endocrine therapy * At least 4 weeks since prior steroid therapy or steroid-containing compounds * At least 2 weeks since prior topical or inhaled steroids Radiotherapy * More than 4 weeks since prior radiotherapy Surgery * See Disease Characteristics Other * More than 4 weeks since prior investigational agents * More than 1 week since prior antibiotics * No concurrent renal dialysis * No concurrent anticoagulants * No other concurrent anticancer agents or therapies * No other concurrent investigational agents