Combination Chemotherapy in Treating Patients With Advanced Cancer of the Urothelium and Decreased Kidney Function

DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:

Histologically confirmed progressive regional or metastatic transitional cell carcinoma of the urothelium

Mixed histologies containing a component of transitional cell carcinoma allowed
Bidimensionally measurable disease
No clinical evidence of CNS metastases
Clinically unsuspected organ-confined prostate cancer found at time of cystoprostatectomy allowed

PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:

Age:

18 and over

Performance status:

ECOG 0-2

Life expectancy:

Not specified

Hematopoietic:

Absolute neutrophil count at least 1,500/mm^3
Platelet count at least 100,000/mm^3

Hepatic:

Bilirubin no greater than 1.5 mg/dL
SGOT no greater than 2.5 times upper limit of normal (ULN) and alkaline phosphatase normal OR
Alkaline phosphatase no greater than 4 times ULN and SGOT normal OR
SGOT less than 1.5 times ULN and alkaline phosphatase less than 2.5 times ULN

Renal:

Creatinine no greater than 3.0 mg/dL
Glomerular filtration rate no greater than 50 mL/min

Cardiovascular:

No history of American Heart Association class III or IV heart disease
No uncontrolled congestive heart failure
No severe cardiac arrhythmias

Other:

Not pregnant or nursing
Fertile patients must use effective contraception
No preexisting peripheral neuropathy grade 2 or greater
No active unresolved infection requiring parenteral antibiotics within the past 7 days
No other malignancy within the past 5 years except curatively treated basal cell or squamous cell skin cancer or carcinoma in situ of the cervix

PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:

Biologic therapy:

No prior systemic biologic response modifier therapy for advanced disease
Prior intravesical BCG for superficial disease allowed

Chemotherapy:

Prior intravesical chemotherapy for superficial disease allowed
No prior chemotherapy for advanced disease
At least 6 months since prior adjuvant/neoadjuvant methotrexate, vinblastine, doxorubicin, and cisplatin (MVAC) or cisplatin, methotrexate, and vinblastine (CMV), or cisplatin as a radiosensitizer

Endocrine therapy:

Not specified

Radiotherapy:

At least 4 weeks since prior radiotherapy
No concurrent radiotherapy

Surgery:

See Disease Characteristics
At least 4 weeks since prior major surgery and recovered

Other:

No concurrent hemodialysis