DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:

• Histologically and cytologically confirmed renal cell carcinoma

  • Clear cell histology
  • Metastatic disease
• Measurable disease, defined as ≥ 1 unidimensionally measurable lesion ≥ 20 mm by conventional techniques OR ≥ 10 mm by spiral CT scan
• No primary brain tumor, brain metastases, or leptomeningeal disease

PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:

Age

• 18 and over

Performance status

• ECOG 0-1

Life expectancy

• Not specified

Hematopoietic

• Absolute neutrophil count ≥ 1,500/mm^3
• Platelet count ≥ 100,000/mm^3
• Hemoglobin > 9.0 g/dL (transfusion or epoetin alfa [e.g., Epogen^®] support allowed)
• No clinical history of coagulopathy
• No bleeding diathesis or thrombosis

Hepatic

• Bilirubin ≤ 2.0 mg/dL
• AST and/or ALT ≤ 2.5 times upper limit of normal (ULN) (5 times ULN if due to liver metastases)
• Albumin > 3.0 g/dL

Renal

• Creatinine ≤ 2.0 mg/dL

Cardiovascular

• Must not have any of the following cardiovascular conditions:

  • Uncontrolled hypertension
  • History of stroke
  • Clinically significant cardiovascular disease
  • Myocardial infarction within the past year
  • Unstable angina
  • New York Heart Association class II-IV congestive heart failure
  • Serious cardiac dysrhythmia refractory to medical treatment
  • Peripheral vascular disease ≥ grade 2

Other

• Not pregnant or nursing
• Negative pregnancy test
• Fertile patients must use effective contraception
• Able to swallow pills
• No other malignancy within the past 5 years except nonmelanoma skin cancer or carcinoma in situ of any site
• No active acute infection
• No history of disease, metabolic dysfunction, physical examination finding, or clinical laboratory finding that would preclude study participation
• No uncontrolled seizure disorder
• No history of severe depression

PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:

Biologic therapy

• Not specified

Chemotherapy

• Not specified

Endocrine therapy

• Not specified

Radiotherapy

• More than 4 weeks since prior radiotherapy for renal cell carcinoma and recovered

Surgery

• Not specified

Other

• Recovered from all adverse events due to agents administered > 4 weeks prior to study entry
• No prior systemic anticancer therapy for renal cell carcinoma
• No other concurrent experimental drugs
• No concurrent combination antiretroviral therapy for HIV-positive patients
• No concurrent rifampin or Hypericum perforatum (St. John's wort)
• No concurrent cytochrome p450 enzyme-inducing antiepileptic drugs (e.g., phenytoin, carbamazepine, or phenobarbital)

• No concurrent therapeutic anticoagulation therapy

  • Concurrent prophylactic anticoagulation (i.e., low-dose warfarin) of venous access devices allowed provided INR ≥ 1.5 is due to warfarin therapy
• Concurrent bisphosphonates allowed