Gemcitabine Hydrochloride and Cisplatin or High-Dose Methotrexate, Vinblastine, Doxorubicin Hydrochloride, and Cisplatin in Treating Patients With Urothelial Cancer

PRIMARY OBJECTIVES To estimate the difference in the rate of unacceptable toxicity for dose-dense methotrexate, vinblastine, doxorubicin, and cisplatin (MVAC) and gemcitabine and cisplatin (GC) in the adjuvant treatment of urothelial cancer. SECONDARY OBJECTIVES To compare rates of disease recurrence at 3 years between dose-dense MVAC and GC. To determine whether molecular markers excision repair cross-complementing-1 (ERCC-1) ribonucleoside-diphosphate reductase M-1 (RRM-1), breast cancer 1 (BRCA1) topoisomerase 2-alpha (Top2A) and protein 53 (p53) can predict those patients more likely to benefit from chemotherapy. To investigate the potential utility of cytidine deaminase (CDA), ERCC-1, xeroderma pigmentosum group D (XPD), glutathione S-transferase P-1 (GSTP-1) and glutathione S-transferase M-1 (GSTM-1) as molecular markers which predict occurrence of significant toxicity during adjuvant chemotherapy for urothelial cancer. OUTLINE: Patients are randomized to 1 of 2 treatment arms. ARM A: Patients receive cisplatin intravenously (IV) on day 1 and gemcitabine hydrochloride IV over 1 hour on days 1 and 8. Treatment repeats every 21 days for 4 courses in the absence of disease progression or unacceptable toxicity. ARM B: Patients receive methotrexate IV on day 1, vinblastine IV, doxorubicin hydrochloride IV, cisplatin IV on day 2 and pegfilgrastim subcutaneously (SC) on day 3. Treatment repeats every 14 days for 4 courses in the absence of disease progression or unacceptable toxicity. After completion of study treatment, patients are followed up every 3 months for 3 years.