Paclitaxel and Carboplatin in Treating Patients With Locally Advanced or Metastatic Renal Cell Cancer

DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS: Histologically confirmed collecting duct renal cell carcinoma Advanced locally recurrent or metastatic disease Not amenable to resection Measurable disease No active CNS metastases Patients with CNS metastases previously treated with surgical resection and/or radiotherapy are eligible provided there is no evidence of disease progression by head CT scan or MRI at 3 months after the completion of definitive therapy PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS: Age 18 and over Performance status ECOG 0-2 Life expectancy Not specified Hematopoietic WBC ≥ 3,000/mm^3 Absolute granulocyte count ≥ 1,500/mm^3 Platelet count ≥ 100,000/mm^3 Hepatic Bilirubin ≤ 1.5 times upper limit of normal (ULN) AST and ALT ≤ 2.5 times ULN Renal Creatinine ≤ 2 times ULN Other Not pregnant or nursing Negative pregnancy test Fertile patients must use effective contraception No peripheral neuropathy greater than grade 1 No other prior malignancy except for curatively treated cancer from which the patient has been disease-free for the length of time considered appropriate for cure of the specific cancer No known hypersensitivity to Cremophor EL No active serious infection No other serious underlying medical condition that would preclude study therapy No dementia or significantly altered mental status that would preclude giving informed consent PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY: Biologic therapy No more than 2 prior biologic response modifier (BRM) regimens Regimens may have included interleukin-2 and/or interferon alfa At least 4 weeks since prior BRM therapy Chemotherapy Not specified Endocrine therapy Concurrent corticosteroids allowed Radiotherapy See Disease Characteristics Prior radiotherapy allowed provided there is measurable disease that has not been irradiated OR there is clear evidence of tumor progression in an irradiated site At least 4 weeks since prior radiotherapy No concurrent external beam radiotherapy Surgery See Disease Characteristics No concurrent major surgery Other No other concurrent anticancer drugs