Fourteen patients with metastatic renal cell carcinoma received methyl-G weekly at a starting dose of 600 mg/m2 (five patients) and 500 mg/m2 (nine patients) intravenously. All 14 patients are evaluable for response and toxicity. No antitumor responses were observed. Six patients achieved stabilization of disease for 8 to 42 weeks. Toxicity was nonhematologic and included nausea or vomiting (35%), fever with shaking chills (28%), diarrhea (21%), myalgia (63%), paresthesia (49%), and bilateral foot drop (7%). Methyl-G does not appear to have activity against renal cell carcinoma.