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