Tretinoin Plus Interferon Alfa in Treating Patients With Metastatic Kidney Cancer

You may be eligible if

• DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:
• Histologically confirmed metastatic renal cell carcinoma
• Bidimensionally measurable disease
• No active brain metastases
• PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:
• Age:
• 18 and over
• Performance status:
• Karnofsky 60-100%
• Life expectancy:
• More than 3 months
• Hematopoietic:
• WBC at least 3,000/mm\^3
• Platelet count at least 100,000/mm\^3
• No coagulation disorders
• Hepatic:
• Bilirubin less than 1.5 mg/dL
• SGOT and SGPT less than 112.5 IU/L each or less than 2.5 times upper limit of normal
• No clinically significant hepatic disease, including autoimmune hepatitis
• Renal:
• Creatinine less than 2 mg/dL OR
• Creatinine clearance greater than 50 mL/min
• No clinically significant renal disease
• Cardiovascular:
• No clinically significant cardiac disease
• No thrombophlebitis
• Pulmonary:
• No severe debilitating pulmonary disease
• No pulmonary embolism
• Other:
• No history of diabetes mellitus prone to ketoacidosis
• No known hypersensitivity to retinoids or retinoic acid derivatives or to interferon or any component of the injection for this study
• No thyroid abnormalities that hinder maintaining thyroid function at the normal range
• No severe infection
• No severe malnutrition
• No clinically significant retinal abnormalities
• No pre-existing psychiatric condition, especially depression or a history of severe psychiatric disorder
• No other concurrent malignancy except nonmelanoma skin cancer or curatively treated carcinoma in situ of the cervix
• Not pregnant or nursing
• Negative pregnancy test
• Fertile patients must use 2 effective methods of contraception during and for 1 month after study participation
• PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:
• Biologic therapy:
• No more than 1 prior biological response modifier therapy or immunotherapy
• Chemotherapy:
• No more than 1 prior chemotherapy regimen
• Endocrine therapy:
• No concurrent steroids
• Radiotherapy:
• At least 4 weeks since prior radiotherapy
• Surgery:
• At least 4 weeks since prior major surgery
• Other:
• No prior retinoid therapy