DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:

• Histologically confirmed renal cell cancer

  • Locally recurrent or metastatic disease

• Measurable disease

  • At least 1 unidimensionally measurable lesion

    • At least 10 mm by spiral CT scan OR at least 20 mm by conventional CT scan
• Not amenable to curative resection

• No know CNS metastasis

  • Previously treated brain metastases allowed provided no evidence of disease is observed on MRI within the past 28 days

PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:

Age

• 18 and over

Performance status

• ECOG 0-1

Life expectancy

• Not specified

Hematopoietic

• Hemoglobin ≥ 9.0 g/dL
• Platelet count ≥ 100,000/mm^3
• WBC ≥ 3,000/mm^3

Hepatic

• AST and ALT ≤ 1.5 times upper limit of normal (ULN) (5 times ULN if liver metastases are present)
• Albumin ≥ 3.0 g/dL
• Bilirubin ≤ 1.5 mg/dL
• Lactate dehydrogenase ≤ 1.5 times ULN

Renal

• Creatinine ≤ 2.0 mg/dL
• Calcium ≤ 10 mg/dL

Other

• Not pregnant or nursing
• Negative pregnancy test
• Fertile patients must use effective contraception during and for 12 weeks after study participation
• Able to self-administer or has a caregiver who can administer subcutaneous injections
• Able to tolerate proposed study treatment or procedures
• No other clinically significant uncontrolled condition that would preclude study participation
• No other malignancy within the past 5 years except adequately treated carcinoma in situ of the cervix or basal cell or squamous cell skin cancer

PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:

Biologic therapy

• No prior immunotherapy for metastatic renal cell cancer
• No concurrent immunotherapy

Chemotherapy

• No prior chemotherapy for metastatic renal cell cancer
• No concurrent cytotoxic chemotherapy

Endocrine therapy

• No prior hormonal therapy for metastatic renal cell cancer

Radiotherapy

• No prior antitumor radiotherapy for metastatic renal cell cancer

• No concurrent radiotherapy

  • Concurrent supportive local radiotherapy involving a small radiation field allowed except within 28 days of day 1 of course 1 of study treatment

Surgery

• Prior excision of primary tumor, where appropriate, allowed
• No concurrent surgery

Other

• No prior investigational therapy for metastatic renal cell cancer
• No other prior therapy for metastatic renal cell cancer

• No concurrent therapeutic anticoagulation therapy

  • Concurrent low-dose anticoagulation therapy for catheter prophylaxis is allowed provided PT/PTT are within normal limits
• No other concurrent investigational therapy
• No other concurrent antineoplastic agents