3-Dimensional Conformal Radiation Therapy in Treating Patients With Bladder Cancer Who Have Undergone Transurethral Resection of the Bladder

DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:

* Histologically confirmed invasive bladder carcinoma, including the following cellular types:

  * Adenocarcinoma
  * Transitional cell carcinoma
  * Squamous cell carcinoma
* Clinical stage G1-3, pT2a-4 disease

  * Localized disease
  * No bone or visceral metastases
  * No lymph node metastases
* Has undergone maximal transurethral resection of the bladder tumor and planning to receive radical radiotherapy

PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:

* WHO performance status 0-1
* Hemoglobin \> 10 g/dL
* WBC \> 3,000/mm\^3
* Platelet count \> 150,000/mm\^3
* Creatinine \< 120 μmol/L
* Bilirubin \< 1.5 times upper limit normal (ULN)
* AST \< 1.5 times ULN
* Alkaline phosphatase \< 1.5 times ULN
* Not pregnant
* No inflammatory bowel disease or other significant small bowel disease
* Physically fit for radical radiotherapy
* No psychological, familial, sociological, or geographical condition potentially hampering compliance with the study protocol and follow-up schedule
* No other malignancy within the past 2 years except adequately treated basal cell carcinoma of the skin or adequately treated carcinoma in situ of the cervix uteri

  * Prior superficial transitional cell carcinoma of the bladder allowed

PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:

* See Disease Characteristics
* No prior pelvic surgery
* No bilateral hip replacements compromising accurate radiotherapy planning
* No prior radiotherapy to the pelvis