Drug shows promise for kidney cancer brain metastases in early trial

Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.

DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS: * Histologically or cytologically confirmed adenocarcinoma of the kidney * Metastatic disease * Measurable disease by RECIST criteria * Presence of previously untreated or recurrent brain metastases following radiotherapy or surgery * No brain metastasis revealed by hemorrhage * No single brain metastasis \< 2 cm that is accessible by surgery or radiosurgery PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS: * WHO performance status 0-2 (unless paresis due to brain metastases) * ANC \> 1,500/mm\^3 * Platelet count \> 100,000/mm\^3 * Hemoglobin \> 8 g/dL * PT or INR \< 1.5 times upper limit of normal (ULN) * AST/ALT \< 2.5 times ULN (\< 5 times ULN in the case of liver metastases) * Total bilirubin \< 1.5 times ULN * Serum creatinine \< 200 μmol/L * Not pregnant or nursing * Fertile patients must use effective contraception during and for up to 30 days following completion of study treatment * No other cancer except for in situ cervical cancer, curatively treated basal cell carcinoma of the skin, or other curatively treated cancer without evidence of recurrence within the past 5 years * No uncontrolled hypertension (systolic BP ≥ 160 mm Hg and/or diastolic BP ≥ 90 mm Hg) * None of the following cardiac conditions within the past 6 months: * Significant cardiovascular disease * NYHA class III-IV congestive heart failure * Myocardial infarction * Unstable angina * Severe arrhythmia * Cerebrovascular accident * Severe thromboembolism * No serious neuropsychiatric disease * No psychological, familial, social, or geographic situations that preclude clinical follow-up * No patient deprived of liberty by a court or administrative order * Able to understand French PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY: * At least 6 months since prior antineoplastic treatment with sunitinib malate * At least 4 weeks since other prior treatment * At least 3 weeks since prior hematopoietic growth factors (i.e., filgrastim \[G-CSF\] or sargramostim \[GM-CSF\]) * No concurrent antivitamin K at curative or anticoagulation doses