Interleukin-2 and Interferon in Treating Patients With Metastatic Kidney Cancer

DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:

• Histologically confirmed metastatic renal cell adenocarcinoma

  • More than one resectable metastatic site
  • No unresectable lesions after local curative treatment (i.e., radiotherapy)
  • In case of secondary lesions suspected on imaging (< 1 cm and/or sparse lesions), metastatic disease must be confirmed by biopsy OR disease progression documented by imaging performed over several weeks
  • If patient has known prior metastatic lesions, progressive disease must have been confirmed within the past 3 months by noninvasive techniques
• Nephrectomized
• Measurable or evaluable disease
• No brain metastases

PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:

• Karnofsky performance status 90-100%
• Hematocrit ≥ 30%
• WBC ≥ 4,000/mm^3
• Platelet count ≥ 120,000/mm^3
• Bilirubin normal
• Creatinine ≤ 1.7 mg/dL
• FEV_1 ≥ 50%

• No severe cardiac dysfunction (i.e., grade III/IV heart disease), including any of the following:

  • Congestive heart failure
  • Coronary artery disease
  • Uncontrolled hypertension
  • Severe arrhythmia
• No active infections requiring antibiotic treatment
• No severe neuropsychiatric condition
• No geographical, psychological, or familial conditions that would preclude study treatment
• Not pregnant or nursing
• Negative pregnancy test
• Fertile patients must use effective contraception
• LVEF ≥ 50%
• No severe autoimmune disease
• No known chronic hepatitis
• No HIV positivity
• No hepatitis B surface antigen positivity
• No prior or concurrent other cancer, except basal cell skin cancer or carcinoma in situ of the cervix
• No severe pulmonary, hepatic, or renal condition that would preclude study treatment

PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:

• See Disease Characteristics
• At least 6 weeks since prior wide-field radiotherapy
• No prior allograft
• No prior cytokines or chemotherapy
• No concurrent corticosteroids