Cisplatin, Bevacizumab, and Gemcitabine Followed by Surgery, Bevacizumab, and Paclitaxel in Treating Patients With Locally Advanced Nonmetastatic Bladder Cancer That Can Be Removed By Surgery

DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:

• Histologically confirmed transitional cell cancer (TCC) of the bladder
• Staged as follows:
• Muscle invasive (T2-T4a)
• Node negative (N0)
• No histologically or cytologically proven lymph node metastases
• Nonmetastatic (M0)
• No evidence of distant metastases
• Resectable disease
• Able to begin protocol treatment within 6 weeks after transurethral resection and cystoscopic evaluation
• No central nervous system or brain metastases

PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:

• ECOG performance status of 0-2
• Karnofsky 60-100%
• White blood cell count ≥ 3,000/mm^3
• Absolute neutrophil count ≥ 1,500/mm^3
• Platelet count ≥ 100,000/mm^3
• AST(SGOT) and ALT(SGPT) ≤ 2 times upper limit of normal
• Bilirubin ≤1.5 mg/dL
• Creatinine clearance ≥ 60 mL/min
• Urine protein/creatinine ratio < 1.0
• Blood pressure ≤150/100 mm Hg
• No prohibitive medical risks for chemotherapy
• No history of allergic reactions attributed to compounds of similar chemical or biologic composition to cisplatin, gemcitabine hydrochloride, or paclitaxel
• No unstable angina
• No history of myocardial infarction within the past 6 months
• No cardiac arrhythmias
• No New York Heart Association (NYHA) congestive heart failure ≥ grade 2
• No history of stroke within the past 6 months
• No clinically significant peripheral vascular disease
• No evidence of bleeding diathesis or coagulopathy
• No history of abdominal fistula, gastrointestinal perforation, or intra-abdominal abscess within the past 6 months
• No serious nonhealing wound, ulcer, or bone fracture
• No psychiatric illness or other psychosocial situation that would limit ability to comply with study and/or follow-up procedures
• Not pregnant or nursing
• Negative pregnancy test
• Fertile patients must agree to use adequate contraception prior to study entry and for the duration of study participation
• No significant traumatic injury with in the past 28 days

PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:

• No prior systemic chemotherapy
• No prior pelvic radiation therapy
• More than 4 weeks since prior participation in an experimental drug study other than a Genentech-sponsored bevacizumab cancer study
• No concurrent participation in an experimental drug study other than a Genentech-sponsored bevacizumab cancer study
• No major surgical procedure or open biopsy within the past 28 days
• No anticipation of need for major surgical procedure during the course of the study
• No minor surgical procedures, fine-needle aspirations, or core biopsies within the past 7 days
• No concurrent treatment with hormones or other chemotherapeutic agents except the following:
• Steroids given for adrenal failure
• Hormones administered for nondisease-related conditions (e.g., insulin for diabetes)
• Intermittent use of dexamethasone as an antiemetic in solid tumor protocols
• No other concurrent investigational or commercial agents or therapies