Bortezomib in Treating Patients With Metastatic Kidney Cancer

Inclusion Criteria: * Histologically confirmed pure non-clear cell renal cell carcinoma (RCC) * Distant metastatic disease (Tx, Nx, M1) * Tumor expresses wild-type von Hippel-Lindau tumor suppressor gene/protein * Measurable disease on imaging scan (≥ 1 cm) * Brain metastases allowed provided they have been treated with surgery and/or radiation therapy and show no evidence of progression on cerebral CT or MRI scan 2 months following surgery and/or radiation therapy. * Life expectancy ≥ 3 months * Karnofsky performance status ≥ 60% * Negative pregnancy test * Fertile patients must use an acceptable method of contraception * No other major illnesses likely to limit survival * Platelet count ≥ 100,000/mm\^3 * Absolute neutrophil count ≥ 1, 000/mm\^3 * Hemoglobin ≥ 10 g/dL (transfusion allowed) * Creatinine clearance ≥ 30 mL/min OR creatinine ≤ 2 mg/dL * ALT or AST ≤ 2.5 times upper limit of normal * At least 4 weeks since prior radiotherapy and recovered * More than 30 days since any other prior investigational drugs Exclusion Criteria: * active CNS metastases * pregnant or nursing * myocardial infarction within the past 6 months * New York Heart Association class III or IV heart failure * uncontrolled angina * severe uncontrolled ventricular arrhythmias * electrocardiographic evidence of acute ischemia or active conduction system abnormalities * Peripheral neuropathy ≤ grade 1 * hypersensitivity to bortezomib, boron, or mannitol * history of a non-RCC malignancy within the past 5 years except basal cell carcinoma of the skin * serious medical or psychiatric illness that would preclude study participation * prior cytotoxic chemotherapy for this cancer * other concurrent investigational therapy * concurrent chemotherapy, immunotherapy, or hormonal therapy