Bevacizumab in Treating Patients With Unresectable or Metastatic Kidney Cancer

DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS: * Histologically confirmed papillary renal cell carcinoma (RCC) * Unresectable and/or metastatic disease * Measurable disease, defined as ≥ 1 lesion that can be accurately measured in ≥ 1 dimension and is ≥ 10 mm by spiral CT scan * No known CNS (central nervous system) disease PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS: Inclusion criteria: * ECOG (Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group) performance status 0-1 * Life expectancy \> 6 months * ANC (absolute neutrophil count) ≥ 1,000/mm\^3 * Platelet count ≥ 100,000/mm\^3 * Hemoglobin ≥ 10.0 g/dL * Total bilirubin ≤ 2.0 mg/dL * AST (aspartate aminotransferase) and ALT (Alanine transaminase) \< 3 times normal * Creatinine clearance \> 50 mg/mL * Calcium \< 12 mg/dL (when corrected for level of serum albumin) * No known HIV infection * Not pregnant or nursing * Negative pregnancy test * Fertile patients must use effective contraception Exclusion criteria: * Inadequately controlled hypertension (defined as systolic blood pressure \[BP\] \> 150 mm Hg and/or diastolic BP \> 100 mm Hg on antihypertensive medications) * Prior history of hypertensive crisis or hypertensive encephalopathy * New York Heart Association class II-IV congestive heart failure * Myocardial infarction or unstable angina within the past 6 months * Stroke or transient ischemic attack within the past 6 months * Significant vascular disease (e.g., aortic aneurysm or aortic dissection) * Symptomatic peripheral vascular disease * Evidence of bleeding diathesis or coagulopathy * Significant traumatic injury within the past 28 days * Abdominal fistula, gastrointestinal perforation, or intra-abdominal abscess within the past 6 months * Serious, non-healing wound, ulcer, or bone fracture * Proteinuria at screening as demonstrated by either of the following: * Urine protein:creatinine (UPC) ratio ≥ 1.0 at screening * Urine dipstick for proteinuria ≥ 2+ OR 24-hour urine protein \> 1g * Known hypersensitivity to any component of bevacizumab PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY: * No prior systemic treatment for metastatic papillary RCC * At least 4 weeks since prior palliative radiotherapy of painful areas * More than 28 days since prior major surgical procedure or open biopsy * No concurrent major surgical procedure * More than 7 days since prior core biopsy or other minor surgical procedure, excluding placement of a vascular access device * Concurrent low-dose acetylsalicylic acid (≤ 325 mg/day) allowed in patients at high-risk for arterial thromboembolic disease