RATIONALE: Drugs used in chemotherapy, such as carboplatin, paclitaxel, gemcitabine, and cisplatin, work in different ways to stop tumor cells from dividing so they stop growing or die. Radiation therapy uses high-energy x-rays to damage tumor cells. Giving chemotherapy before radiation therapy, and combining chemotherapy with radiation therapy, may kill more tumor cells.

PURPOSE: Phase II trial to study the effectiveness of neoadjuvant gemcitabine, paclitaxel, and carboplatin followed by cisplatin and radiation therapy in treating patients who have locally advanced or recurrent carcinoma (cancer) of the urothelium.

OBJECTIVES:

• Determine the overall survival of patients with locally advanced or recurrent carcinoma of the urothelium treated with neoadjuvant carboplatin, paclitaxel, and gemcitabine followed by concurrent cisplatin and radiotherapy.
• Determine the feasibility of administering this regimen to these patients.
• Determine the progression-free survival of patients treated with this regimen.
• Determine the qualitative and quantitative toxic effects of this regimen in these patients.
• Determine the response rate (confirmed and unconfirmed) of patients treated with the neoadjuvant regimen and those treated with the whole regimen.
• Determine the proportion of patients who qualify for concurrent cisplatin and radiotherapy after receiving the neoadjuvant regimen.
• Determine the potential value of suppressor gene expression analysis (p53 and retinoblastoma gene) and HER2 expression as indicators of prognosis and/or response in patients treated with this regimen.

OUTLINE: This is a multicenter study.

Patients receive neoadjuvant chemotherapy comprising paclitaxel IV over 3 hours and carboplatin IV over 15 minutes on day 1 and gemcitabine IV over 30 minutes on days 1 and 8. Treatment repeats every 21 days for a maximum of 3 courses in the absence of disease progression or unacceptable toxicity.

Within 4-8 weeks after the completion of neoadjuvant chemotherapy, patients receive cisplatin IV over 30-60 minutes on day 1. Treatment repeats every 21 days for a maximum of 2 courses in the absence of disease progression or unacceptable toxicity. Patients also undergo concurrent radiotherapy 5 days a week for 6 weeks.

Patients are followed every 3 months for 2 years and then every 6 months for 3 years.

PROJECTED ACCRUAL: A total of 80 patients will be accrued for this study within 4 years.

DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:

• Histologically confirmed primary or recurrent invasive carcinoma of the urothelium

  • Transitional, squamous, or mixed cell subtypes allowed

  • Primary disease site must be the urinary bladder or urethra

  • Disease confined to the true pelvis (T2-T4, N0-N3, M0)

  • Must meet at least 1 of the following criteria:

    • Nodal involvement at or below the level of the bifurcation of the iliac vessels
    • Medically or surgically inoperable
    • Patient refused cystectomy

• Measurable or nonmeasurable disease

• Evidence of tumor invasion of the muscularis by cystoscopy and biopsy and detailed bladder mapping within the past 56 days

• No extrapelvic metastases

• Eligible to receive radiotherapy

  • Planned radiotherapy at a SWOG-approved facility

PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:

Age

• 18 and over

Performance status

• Zubrod 0-2

Life expectancy

• Not specified

Hematopoietic

• Granulocyte count at least 1,500/mm^3
• Platelet count at least lower limit of normal

Hepatic

• Bilirubin no greater than upper limit of normal (ULN)
• SGOT or SGPT no greater than 2.5 times ULN

Renal

• Creatinine clearance at least 60 mL/min OR
• Creatinine no greater than ULN

Gastrointestinal

• No chronic diarrhea
• No malabsorption
• No extensive diverticular disease of the colon
• No inflammatory bowel disease
• No other pre-existing gastrointestinal disorders

Other

• Not pregnant or nursing
• Fertile patients must use effective contraception
• No active infections requiring antibiotics
• No other malignancy within the past 5 years except adequately treated basal cell or squamous cell skin cancer, carcinoma in situ of the cervix, or adequately treated stage I or II cancer currently in complete remission

PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:

Biologic therapy

• Not specified

Chemotherapy

• No prior chemotherapy for patients with a current diagnosis of advanced bladder cancer that is also the initial diagnosis
• No prior systemic chemotherapy except adjuvant therapy for recurrent disease completed more than 6 months ago
• No prior carboplatin
• No prior paclitaxel
• No prior gemcitabine

Endocrine therapy

• Not specified

Radiotherapy

• See Disease Characteristics
• No prior pelvic radiotherapy

Surgery

• See Disease Characteristics
• Recovered from prior surgery