Everolimus and Imatinib Mesylate in Treating Patients With Metastatic or Unresectable Kidney Cancer

DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS: * Histologically confirmed clear cell kidney cancer, meeting 1 of the following criteria: * Measurable metastatic disease * Locally unresectable disease * No history of known brain metastases that have not been adequately treated with radiotherapy and/or surgery * Must have received ≥ 1 prior systemic therapy for metastatic or unresectable renal cell carcinoma PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS: * Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) performance status 0-2 * Absolute neutrophil count \> 1,500/mm³ * Platelet count \> 100,000/mm³ * Hemoglobin \> 8 g/dL * Bilirubin \< 1.5 times upper limit of normal (ULN) * Serum glutamic oxaloacetic transaminase(SGOT) and Serum glutamic pyruvic transaminase(SGPT) \< 2.5 times ULN * Creatinine \< 1.5 times ULN * No New York Heat Association grade III-IV cardiac disease * No other malignancy within the past 5 years except basal cell skin cancer, cervical carcinoma in situ, or insignificant or inactive disease * No chronic liver disease (i.e., chronic active hepatitis or cirrhosis) * No severe or uncontrolled medical disease * No gastrointestinal disease or impairment that would hinder the absorption of everolimus * No uncontrolled diabetes * No chronic renal disease * No active uncontrolled infection * No congestive heart failure * No myocardial infarction within the past 6 months PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY: * See Disease Characteristics * More than 2 weeks since prior major surgery * More than 4 weeks since prior chemotherapy (6 weeks for nitrosourea or mitomycin C) * More than 4 weeks since prior immunotherapy * More than 4 weeks since other prior investigational agents * No prior radiotherapy to \> 25% of bone marrow * No prior treatment with an mammalian target of rapamycin(mTOR) inhibitor * No concurrent therapeutic warfarin