Combination Chemotherapy in Treating Patients With Bladder Cancer

You may be eligible if

• DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:
• Histologically confirmed transitional cell carcinoma of the bladder
• * Any T, N+, M0 OR
• * T3a-4a, N0, M0
• At least 6 weeks but no more than 3 months since prior complete resection of bladder
• * Cystoprostatectomy plus pelvic lymph node dissection in males
• * Cystectomy/total abdominal hysterectomy/bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy plus pelvic lymph node dissection in females
• * Negative surgical margins
• Carcinoma in situ allowed
• No partial cystectomy or transurethral bladder tumor resection as definitive loco-regional therapy
• Prostate cancer detected in resected specimen allowed if post-operative PSA is no more than 0.05 mg/dL
• No metastatic or recurrent disease by post-operative chest x-ray and CT scan of abdomen and pelvis
• PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:
• Age:
• 18 and over
• Performance status:
• ECOG 0-1
• Hematopoietic:
• Absolute neutrophil count ≥ 1,500/mm\^3
• Platelet count ≥ 150,000/mm\^3
• Hepatic:
• Bilirubin ≤ 1.5 times upper limit of normal (ULN)
• Alkaline phosphatase ≤ 2 times ULN
• AST ≤ 2 times ULN
• Renal:
• Creatinine ≤ 1.5 mg/dL OR
• Creatinine clearance ≥ 60 mL/min
• Cardiovascular:
• Normal cardiac function by history, physical exam, or chest radiograph
• Left ventricular ejection fraction at least 50% by radionuclide ventriculogram or echocardiogram, for prior cardiac disease
• No New York Heart Association class III or IV heart disease
• No serious cardiac arrhythmias including first-, second-, and third-degree heart block
• Other:
• Negative pregnancy test
• No uncontrolled infection
• No other active cancer within the past 5 years except non-melanoma skin cancer or curatively treated carcinoma in situ of the cervix
• PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:
• Biologic therapy:
• Not specified
• Chemotherapy:
• No prior systemic chemotherapy
• Endocrine therapy:
• Not specified
• Radiotherapy:
• No prior radiotherapy to bladder