Ixabepilone in Treating Patients With Advanced Urinary Tract Cancer

Inclusion Criteria

• •Histologically confirmed transitional cell carcinoma (TCC) of the urothelium(renal pelvis, ureter, bladder, or urethra)
• •* Mixed histology carcinoma with a TCC component allowed
• •Progressive regional disease
• •Metastatic disease
• •Failed 1 and only 1 prior systemic chemotherapy regimen containing cisplatin or carboplatin in the adjuvant, neoadjuvant, or metastatic setting
• •* May have included taxane-based therapy
• •Measurable disease outside prior irradiation field
• •Previously resected and irradiated CNS metastases with evidence of stable disease allowed
• •Performance status - ECOG 0-2
• •Granulocyte count at least 1,500/mm\^3
• •Platelet count at least 100,000/mm\^3
• •Bilirubin no greater than 1.5 mg/dL
• •AST no greater than 2.5 times upper limit of normal
• •Creatinine no greater than 1.5 mg/dL
• •No prior severe cardiovascular disease (American Heart Association class III or IV heart disease)
• •No uncontrolled congestive heart failure
• •No ventricular dysrhythmia
• •No active unresolved infection requiring parenteral antibiotics within the past week
• •No other malignancy within the past 5 years except curatively treated basal cell or squamous cell skin cancer, carcinoma in situ of the cervix, or clinically unsuspected organ-confined prostate cancer treated with prior prostatectomy
• •Not pregnant or nursing
• •Negative pregnancy test
• •Fertile patients must use effective contraception
• •No prior systemic biologic response modifier therapy
• •See Disease Characteristics
• •At least 4 weeks since prior chemotherapy and recovered
• •See Disease Characteristics
• •At least 4 weeks since prior radiotherapy and recovered
• •No concurrent radiotherapy
• •See Disease Characteristics
• •At least 4 weeks since prior major surgery and recovered