DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS: Histologically confirmed renal cell adenocarcinoma Disease progression within 16 weeks after first-line therapy, which included interleukin-2 and/or interferon Metastatic disease not amenable to surgery Measurable and/or evaluable disease No more than one line of prior anticancer treatment for renal cell carcinoma No pure papillary cell tumor, mixed tumor containing predominantly sarcomatoid cells, Bellini carcinoma, medullary carcinoma, or chromophobe oncocytic tumor No brain metastases