OBJECTIVE To evaluate the toxicity and efficacy of capecitabine and weekly docetaxel in a phase II clinical trial. METHODS Eligibility included metastatic renal cancer with a maximum of 2 prior regimens, performance status of 0-2, and adequate renal, hepatic, and bone marrow function. Docetaxel was administered intravenously at a dose of 36 mg/m(2) weekly on days 1, 8, and 15 of a 28- day cycle and capecitabine was administered orally at a dose of 1800 mg/m(2) from days 5-18. Toxicity was assessed on days 1, 8, and 15 of each cycle, and response was evaluated every 2 cycles. RESULTS Twenty-five patients, 19 white and 6 African American, were enrolled on this phase II trial. The median age was 60 years (range: 39-75 years). Eighteen patients had clear cell histology, 7 had papillary, sarcomatoid, or chromophobe histology. Thirteen had liver/bone metastases and 13 had >or=2 of the Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center prognostic risk factors. Twelve patients received prior immunotherapy. A total of 93 cycles were administered; median of 3 cycles and range from 0-10 cycles. The therapy was well tolerated. No treatment-related mortality was observed and 2 treatment-related hospitalizations for nausea, diarrhea, and dehydration occurred. Ten patients had stable disease. The median time to progression was 1.7 months and median survival was 11.1 months. CONCLUSIONS The combination of capecitabine and docetaxel was well tolerated in metastatic renal cancer. Clinical activity was predominantly noted in non-clear cell histology in which chemotherapy would be worthy of future investigation.