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