Bortezomib in Treating Patients With Advanced or Metastatic Transitional Cell Cancer of the Bladder, Renal Pelvis, or Ureter

DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:

• Histologically or cytologically confirmed transitional cell cancer of the urothelium, including the bladder, renal pelvis, or ureter
• Advanced or metastatic disease
• At least 1 unidimensionally measurable lesion
• At least 20 mm by conventional techniques OR at least 10 mm by spiral CT scan
• The following are not considered measurable disease:
• Bone lesions
• Leptomeningeal disease
• Ascites
• Pleural/pericardial effusion
• Inflammatory breast disease
• Lymphangitis cutis/pulmonis
• Abdominal masses that are not confirmed and followed by imaging techniques
• Cystic lesions
• No known brain metastases

PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:

Age

• 18 and over

Performance status

• ECOG 0-1 OR
• Karnofsky 80-100%

Life expectancy

• More than 3 months

Hematopoietic

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

Hepatic

• Bilirubin no greater than 1.25 times upper limit of normal (ULN)
• AST/ALT no greater than 3 times ULN (less than 5 times ULN if liver metastases are present)

Renal

• Creatinine no greater than 1.5 times ULN OR
• Creatinine clearance at least 45 mL/min

Cardiovascular

• No symptomatic congestive heart failure
• No unstable angina pectoris
• No cardiac arrhythmia

Other

• Not pregnant or nursing
• Negative pregnancy test
• Fertile patients must use effective contraception
• Able and willing to undergo biopsy of tumor lesions
• No other primary cancer requiring treatment within the past 3 years except curatively treated nonmelanoma skin cancer or carcinoma in situ of the cervix
• No grade 1 or greater peripheral neuropathy
• No ongoing or active infection
• No other concurrent uncontrolled illness
• No psychiatric illness or social situation that would preclude study compliance

PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:

Biologic therapy

• Not specified

Chemotherapy

• No more than 2 prior chemotherapy regimen for metastatic disease
• Prior neoadjuvant or adjuvant therapy allowed provided it was completed more than 12 months prior to study entry
• Patients who relapse within 12 months after completion of neoadjuvant or adjuvant therapy are allowed provided they did not receive chemotherapy for recurrent disease
• More than 4 weeks since prior chemotherapy (6 weeks for nitrosoureas or mitomycin) and recovered
• Prior chemotherapy as a radiosensitizer is allowed* NOTE: *May be administered concurrently with radiotherapy; may be in addition to a single line of therapy for locally advanced or metastatic disease

Endocrine therapy

• Not specified

Radiotherapy

• See Chemotherapy
• More than 4 weeks since prior myelotoxic radiotherapy (more than 3,000 cGy to fields including substantial bone marrow) and recovered
• No concurrent radiotherapy

Surgery

• At least 4 weeks since prior surgery for cancer of the urothelium (except nephrostomy tubes and ureteral stents)

Other

• At least 4 weeks since any prior therapy and recovered
• No other concurrent investigational or commercial agents or therapies intended to treat the malignancy
• No concurrent combination antiretroviral therapy for HIV-positive patients