Bevacizumab and Combination Chemotherapy Before Surgery in Treating Patients With Locally Advanced Esophageal or Stomach Cancer

Inclusion Criteria:

Patients must have biopsy proven adenocarcinoma, squamous cell carcinoma or undifferentiated carcinoma of the esophagus, GE junction and/or gastric cardia

Patients must have potentially resectable disease by the thoracic, minimally invasive or transhiatal approach

No portion of the lesion may be within 5 cm of the cricopharyngeus
Patient must be considered medically fit for surgery with average or below average risk
T1-3 or T4 with local invasion confined to diaphragm, pleura or pericardium
No myocardial infarction within 12 months of enrollment
Patients must have Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) performance status 0 or 1
White blood cells (WBC) >= 3,500/mm^3
Platelet count >= 100,000/mm^3
Serum creatinine (Cr) =< 1.5 mg and/or creatinine clearance >= 60 cc/min
Bilirubin must be < upper limit of normal (ULN) unless the patient has a chronic grade 1 bilirubin elevation due to Gilbert's disease or similar syndrome due to slow conjugation of bilirubin
Alkaline phosphatase must be < ULN
Aspartate aminotransferase (AST) & alanine aminotransferase (ALT) must be < ULN
Urine protein/creatinine (UPC) ratio of < 1.0 or dipstick for protein of < 2+, Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events version 4.0 (CTCAE v 4) grade < 2; patients with a UPC ratio >= 1.0 or dipstick of 2+ must undergo a 24-hour urine collection and must demonstrate < 1 gm of protein in order to participate
Patients must give written informed consent and Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) consent

Exclusion Criteria:

Patients with prior chemotherapy for any malignant disorder, thoracic radiotherapy or prior surgical resection of an esophageal tumor are ineligible
Patients with biopsy-proven invasion of the tracheobronchial tree or tracheo-esophageal fistula are ineligible
Patients with a history of a curatively treated malignancy must be disease-free for at least two years and have a survival prognosis that is greater than five years
Eligible patients of reproductive potential (both sexes) must agree to use an accepted and effective method of contraceptive during study therapy and for at least 6 months after the completion of bevacizumab; women must not be pregnant or breast-feeding because the study drugs administered may cause harm to an unborn fetus or breastfeeding child; all females of childbearing potential must have a serum pregnancy test to rule out pregnancy within 7 days prior to registration
Patients with a history of hypertension must measure < 150/90 mmHg and be on a stable regimen of anti-hypertensive therapy; patients with a history of hypertension who have a blood pressure of 150/90 mmHg, or greater are not eligible; patients with a history of hypertension who have a blood pressure of < 150/90 mmHg but are not on a stable regimen of anti-hypertensive therapy, are not eligible
Any prior history of hypertensive crisis or hypertensive encephalopathy
New York Association (NYHA) grade II or greater congestive heart failure
Patients must not have a serious or non-healing wound, skin ulcers or unhealed bone fracture, or known human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection
Patients with >= grade 2 neuropathy are not eligible
Patients must not have had significant traumatic injury within 28 days prior to randomization
Patients with PT (INR) > 1.5 are not eligible; the patient may not be receiving full-dose anticoagulation; prophylactic or full dose anticoagulation are permitted post-resection or for treatment of an intercurrent thrombotic event
Patients with non-malignant systemic disease (cardiovascular, renal, hepatic, etc.) that would preclude any of the study therapy drugs are not eligible; specifically excluded are the following conditions: current symptomatic arrhythmia, symptomatic peripheral vascular disease
Patients with a history of the following within 12 months of study entry are not eligible: arterial thromboembolic events, unstable angina
Any history of stroke or transient ischemic attack
Significant vascular disease (i.e. aortic dissection, aortic aneurysm)
Patients with psychiatric or addictive disorders or other conditions that, in the opinion of the investigator, would preclude them from meeting the study requirements are not eligible
Distant metastases
History of abdominal fistula, gastrointestinal perforation, or intra-abdominal abscess within 6 months prior to study enrollment
Known hypersensitivity to any component of bevacizumab