Combination Chemotherapy in Treating Patients With Advanced Cancer of the Urothelium and Decreased Kidney Function

You may be eligible if

• DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:
• Histologically confirmed progressive regional or metastatic transitional cell carcinoma of the urothelium
• * Mixed histologies containing a component of transitional cell carcinoma allowed
• Bidimensionally measurable disease
• No clinical evidence of CNS metastases
• Clinically unsuspected organ-confined prostate cancer found at time of cystoprostatectomy allowed
• PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:
• Age:
• 18 and over
• Performance status:
• ECOG 0-2
• Life expectancy:
• Not specified
• Hematopoietic:
• Absolute neutrophil count at least 1,500/mm\^3
• Platelet count at least 100,000/mm\^3
• Hepatic:
• Bilirubin no greater than 1.5 mg/dL
• SGOT no greater than 2.5 times upper limit of normal (ULN) and alkaline phosphatase normal OR
• Alkaline phosphatase no greater than 4 times ULN and SGOT normal OR
• SGOT less than 1.5 times ULN and alkaline phosphatase less than 2.5 times ULN
• Renal:
• Creatinine no greater than 3.0 mg/dL
• Glomerular filtration rate no greater than 50 mL/min
• Cardiovascular:
• No history of American Heart Association class III or IV heart disease
• No uncontrolled congestive heart failure
• No severe cardiac arrhythmias
• Other:
• Not pregnant or nursing
• Fertile patients must use effective contraception
• No preexisting peripheral neuropathy grade 2 or greater
• No active unresolved infection requiring parenteral antibiotics within the past 7 days
• No other malignancy within the past 5 years except curatively treated basal cell or squamous cell skin cancer or carcinoma in situ of the cervix
• PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:
• Biologic therapy:
• No prior systemic biologic response modifier therapy for advanced disease
• Prior intravesical BCG for superficial disease allowed
• Chemotherapy:
• Prior intravesical chemotherapy for superficial disease allowed
• No prior chemotherapy for advanced disease
• At least 6 months since prior adjuvant/neoadjuvant methotrexate, vinblastine, doxorubicin, and cisplatin (MVAC) or cisplatin, methotrexate, and vinblastine (CMV), or cisplatin as a radiosensitizer
• Endocrine therapy:
• Not specified
• Radiotherapy:
• At least 4 weeks since prior radiotherapy
• No concurrent radiotherapy
• Surgery:
• See Disease Characteristics
• At least 4 weeks since prior major surgery and recovered
• Other:
• No concurrent hemodialysis