S1011 Standard or Extended Pelvic Lymphadenectomy in Treating Patients Undergoing Surgery for Invasive Bladder Cancer

You may be eligible if

• DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:
• Histologically confirmed urothelial carcinoma of the bladder
• * Stage T2, T3, or T4a disease
• * No clinical stage consistent with a low-risk of node metastasis (CIS only, T1)
• * No T4b disease (fixed lesion)
• * Disease that requires primary radical cystectomy and lymph node dissection for definitive treatment
• * No laparoscopic surgery
• Predominant urothelial carcinoma with any of the following elements allowed:
• * Adenocarcinoma
• * Squamous cell carcinoma
• * Micropapillary or minor components of other rare phenotype
• * No pure squamous cell carcinoma or adenocarcinoma
• No visceral or nodal metastatic disease proximal to the common iliac bifurcation by 2-view chest x-ray and abdominal-pelvic imaging by computerized tomography or MRI of the abdomen and pelvis
• No intra-operative pelvic lymph node involvement (confirmed by frozen section) at or above the bifurcation of the common iliac vessels in any of the extended template
• PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:
• Zubrod performance status 0-2
• ALT and AST ≤ upper limit of normal (ULN)\*
• Alkaline phosphatase ≤ ULN\*
• Not pregnant or nursing
• Fertile patients must use an effective contraception
• No other prior malignancy except adequately treated basal cell or squamous cell skin cancer, in situ cervical cancer, or stage I or II cancer from which the patient is in complete remission for the past 5 years
• Medically suitable to undergo cystectomy, in the physician's opinion NOTE: \*Levels may be ≥ ULN provided metastatic disease is excluded using dedicated liver imaging, bone scan, or biopsy.
• PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:
• See Disease Characteristics
• No prior partial cystectomy for invasive bladder cancer
• No prior pelvic surgery that would obviate a complete extended lymphadenectomy (e.g., aorto-femoral/iliac bypass)
• Prior neoadjuvant chemotherapy for this cancer allowed provided it has been completed and patient has recovered
• No prior pelvic irradiation