This phase III trial studies how well nivolumab and ipilimumab, followed by nivolumab versus cabozantinib and nivolumab, work in treating patients with renal cell cancer that is untreated and has spread to other parts of the body. Immunotherapy with monoclonal antibodies, such as nivolumab and ipilimumab, may help the body's immune system attack the cancer, and may interfere with the ability of tumor cells to grow and spread. Drugs used in chemotherapy, such as cabozantinib, work in different ways to stop the growth of tumor cells, either by killing the cells, by stopping them from dividing, or by stopping them from spreading. It is not yet known how well cabozantinib and nivolumab work in treating patients with untreated renal cell cancer that has spread to other parts of the body.

This phase III trial compares the effect of stero-ablative radiotherapy (SAbR) followed by standard of care systemic therapy, to standard of care systemic therapy alone, in patients with kidney cancer that has spread from where it first started (primary site) to a limited (2-5) number of places in the body (metastatic). Study doctors want to find out if this approach is better or worse than the usual approach for metastatic kidney cancer. The usual approach is defined as the care most people get for metastatic kidney cancer which includes systemic therapy such as immunotherapy (given through the veins) and/or small molecular inhibitor (tablets taken by mouth). Radiotherapy uses high energy x-rays to kill cancer cells and shrink tumors. SAbR uses special equipment to position a patient and deliver radiation to tumors with high precision. Giving SAbR prior to systemic therapy may kill more tumor cells than the usual approach, which is systemic therapy alone.

This phase III trial compares the effect of adding surgery to a standard of care immunotherapy-based drug combination versus a standard of care immunotherapy-based drug combination alone in treating patients with kidney cancer that has spread to other places in the body (metastatic). Immunotherapy with monoclonal antibodies, such as nivolumab, ipilimumab, pembrolizumab, and avelumab, may help the body's immune system attack the cancer, and may interfere with the ability of tumor cells to grow and spread. Axitinib may stop the growth of tumor cells by blocking some of the enzymes needed for cell growth. Surgery to remove the kidney, called a nephrectomy, is also considered standard of care; however, doctors who treat kidney cancer do not agree on its benefits. It is not yet known if the addition of surgery to an immunotherapy-based drug combination works better than an immunotherapy-based drug combination alone in treating patients with kidney cancer.

This phase II trial tests whether cabozantinib with or without atezolizumab works to shrink tumors in patients with papillary kidney cancer that has spread to other places in the body (metastatic). Cabozantinib may stop the growth of tumor cells by blocking some of the enzymes needed for cell growth. Immunotherapy with monoclonal antibodies, such as atezolizumab, may help the body's immune system attack the cancer, and may interfere with the ability of tumor cells to grow and spread. Giving cabozantinib with atezolizumab may prevent papillary kidney cancer from growing or spreading compared to cabozantinib alone.