Sunitinib and Surgery in Treating Patients With Localized or Metastatic Kidney Cancer

DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:

• Newly diagnosed renal cell carcinoma

  • Clinical stage T1b, T2, or T3 tumor with or without nodal or hematogenous metastasis
  • Localized or metastatic disease by renal biopsy
• Primary tumor must be amenable to surgical removal

• No history of or known spinal cord compression or carcinomatous meningitis OR evidence of symptomatic brain or leptomeningeal disease by CT scan or MRI

  • Treated, stable, and asymptomatic brain metastases are allowed

PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:

• ECOG performance status 0-1
• ANC ≥ 1,500/mm\^3
• Platelets ≥ 100,000/mm\^3
• Hemoglobin ≥ 9.0 g/dL
• AST and ALT ≤ 2.5 times upper limit of normal (ULN) (≤ 5 times ULN if liver function abnormalities are due to underlying malignancy)
• Total bilirubin ≤ 1.5 times ULN
• Creatinine \< 2 mg/dL OR creatinine clearance > 40 mL/min
• Calcium ≤ 10.2 mg/dL
• QTc interval \< 500 msec
• Not pregnant or nursing
• Negative pregnancy test
• Fertile patients must use effective barrier contraception during and for 3 (male)-6 (female) months after completion of study treatment

• No serious intercurrent illness including, but not limited to, any of the following:

  • Clinically significant cardiovascular disease (e.g., uncontrolled hypertension, myocardial infarction, unstable angina)
  • New York Heart Association ≥ class II congestive heart failure
  • Serious cardiac arrhythmia requiring medication
  • Peripheral vascular disease ≥ grade 2
  • Psychiatric illness/social situations that would limit compliance with study requirements

• None of the following conditions within the past 6 months:

  • Myocardial infarction
  • Severe/unstable angina
  • Coronary/peripheral artery bypass graft
  • Symptomatic congestive heart failure
  • Cerebrovascular accident or transient ischemic attack
  • Pulmonary embolism
• No ongoing cardiac dysrhythmias NCI CTCAE version 3.0 ≥ grade 2
• No hypertension that cannot be controlled by medications (i.e., diastolic blood pressure > 100 mm Hg despite optimal medical therapy)
• No known HIV positivity

PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:

• Not specified