S0351, CNTO 328 in Treating Patients With Unresectable or Metastatic Kidney Cancer

DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS: * Histologically or cytologically confirmed metastatic or unresectable primary renal cell carcinoma * Measurable disease * Soft tissue disease within a prior radiation field may be considered measurable disease provided all of the following are true: * Patient also has measurable disease outside of the irradiated field * Disease within the irradiated field has progressed since prior radiotherapy * Radiotherapy was completed more than 2 months ago * Ineligible for high-dose interleukin-2 * No treated or untreated brain metastases * No history of brain metastases * Patients with clinical evidence of brain metastases must have brain CT scan or MRI negative for metastatic disease within 56 days prior to study entry PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS: * Zubrod performance status 0-2 * Absolute granulocyte count ≥ 1,500/mm\^3 * Platelet count ≥ 100,000/mm\^3 * Creatinine clearance ≥ 40 mL/min * Bilirubin ≤ 3 times upper limit of normal (ULN) * SGOT ≤ 3 times ULN * Not pregnant or nursing * Fertile patients must use effective contraception * No more than 2 of the following: * Zubrod PS 2 * Lactate dehydrogenase \> 1.5 times ULN * Hemoglobin \< lower limit of normal * Calcium \> 10 mg/dL * Absence of prior nephrectomy * No uncontrolled intercurrent illness, including any of the following: * Uncontrolled diabetes mellitus * Ongoing or active infection * Symptomatic congestive heart failure * Unstable angina pectoris * Cardiac arrhythmia * Psychiatric illness or social situation that would limit compliance with study requirements * No HIV positivity * No other prior malignancy, excluding the following: * Adequately treated basal cell or squamous cell skin cancer * In situ cervical cancer * Adequately treated stage I or II cancer for which the patient is currently in complete remission * Any other cancer for which the patient has been disease free for 5 years PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY: * See Disease Characteristics * At least 28 days since prior tumor resection and recovered * No prior immunotherapy or chemotherapy regimens with interferon (IFN) and/or interleukin-2 (IL-2) or the combination of IFN/IL-2 * No prior cytotoxic chemotherapy for renal cell cancer * No prior murine or chimeric proteins or human/murine recombination products (i.e., other chimeric monoclonal antibodies) * No concurrent radiotherapy or systemic therapy for renal cell cancer