DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:

• Histologically confirmed pure non-clear cell renal cell carcinoma (RCC)

  • Distant metastatic disease (Tx, Nx, M1)
  • Tumor expresses wild-type von Hippel-Lindau tumor suppressor gene/protein
• Measurable disease on imaging scan (≥ 1 cm)
• Brain metastases allowed provided they have been treated with surgery and/or radiation therapy and show no evidence of progression on cerebral CT or MRI scan 2 months following surgery and/or radiation therapy
• No active CNS metastases

PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:

• Life expectancy ≥ 3 months
• Karnofsky performance status ≥ 60%
• Not pregnant or nursing
• Negative pregnancy test
• Fertile patients must use an acceptable method of contraception
• No other major illnesses likely to limit survival
• Platelet count ≥ 100,000/mm^3
• Absolute neutrophil count ≥ 1, 000/mm^3
• Hemoglobin ≥ 10 g/dL (transfusion allowed)
• Creatinine clearance ≥ 30 mL/min OR creatinine ≤ 2 mg/dL
• ALT or AST ≤ 2.5 times upper limit of normal
• No myocardial infarction within the past 6 months
• No New York Heart Association class III or IV heart failure
• No uncontrolled angina
• No severe uncontrolled ventricular arrhythmias
• No electrocardiographic evidence of acute ischemia or active conduction system abnormalities
• Peripheral neuropathy ≤ grade 1
• No hypersensitivity to bortezomib, boron, or mannitol
• No history of a non-RCC malignancy within the past 5 years except basal cell carcinoma of the skin
• No serious medical or psychiatric illness that would preclude study participation

PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:

• See Disease Characteristics
• At least 4 weeks since prior radiotherapy and recovered
• More than 30 days since any other prior investigational drugs
• No prior cytotoxic chemotherapy for this cancer
• No other concurrent investigational therapy
• No concurrent chemotherapy, immunotherapy, or hormonal therapy