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