Medroxyprogesterone or Interferon and/or Aldesleukin in Treating Patients With Metastatic Kidney Cancer

DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS: * Histologically confirmed metastatic renal cell adenocarcinoma, meeting 1 of the following criteria: * More than 1 metastatic site and good performance status (Karnofsky score 80-100%) * Sole metastatic site with Karnofsky score = 80% * Karnofsky 90% or 100% not eligible * No combination of several metastatic sites and liver metastases and a time interval from primary tumor to metastases of \< 1 year * Nonmeasurable disease and/or few numbers of lesions must be confirmed histologically and as progressive disease * The following metastases are allowed: * Lung with or without mediastinum lymph nodes * Bone * Pleura (solid or liquid with positive cytology) * Thoracic lymph nodes * Abdominal lymph nodes * Superficial lymph nodes * Liver * Subcutaneous skin/tissue * Contralateral kidney * Nephrectomy site * Other organs * Prior metastases allowed provided the following criteria are met: * Evidence of progressive disease within the past 3 months * Metastases evaluated by noninvasive methods * No evidence of active brain metastases * Prior brain metastases allowed provided all of the following criteria are met: * Disease is stable * Reductive therapy (surgery or radiotherapy) completed at least 3 weeks prior to study entry * Metastases have not progressed (confirmed by CT scan or MRI) * No concurrent corticosteroids required PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS: * See Disease Characteristics * Creatinine \< 1.8 mg/dL * Hematocrit ≥ 30% * WBC ≥ 4,000/mm\^3 * Platelet count ≥ 120,000/mm\^3 * Bilirubin normal * LVEF ≥ 50% * Not pregnant or nursing * Negative pregnancy test * Fertile patients must use effective contraception * No HIV positivity * No severe infection requiring antibiotic therapy * No chronic hepatitis * No severe lung, liver or kidney condition that would preclude study treatment * No hepatitis B surface antigen positivity * No severe neuropsychiatric condition or epilepsy * No serious thromboembolitic disorder * No severe cardiac dysfunction (e.g., congestive heart failure, uncontrolled hypertension, serious arrhythmia, or coronary disease) * No other prior or concurrent primary malignancies except for basal cell skin cancer or carcinoma in situ of the cervix * No geographical, psychological, or familial condition that would preclude study participation PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY: * More than 6 weeks since prior wide-field radiotherapy * No prior systemic chemotherapy * No prior organ transplantation * No prior cytokines * No concurrent hormonal therapy * No concurrent anticancer chemotherapy * No concurrent corticosteroids * No other concurrent immunotherapy * No other concurrent investigational agents or therapies