Cisplatin Plus Gemcitabine With or Without Paclitaxel in Treating Patients With Stage IV Urinary Tract Cancer

DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS: * Histologically confirmed stage IV transitional cell carcinoma of the urothelium (pure or mixed) including bladder, urethra, ureter, and renal pelvis * T4b, any N OR any T, N2-3 OR M1 * Ineligible for surgery or radiotherapy with curative intent * Measurable or evaluable disease * No known CNS metastases PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS: Age: * 18 and over Performance status: * WHO 0-1 Life expectancy: * At least 12 weeks Hematopoietic: * WBC at least 3,000/mm\^3 * Platelet count at least 100,000/mm\^3 * Hemoglobin at least 10 g/dL Hepatic: * Bilirubin less than 1.25 times normal * AST or ALT less than 2.5 times normal Renal: * Glomerular filtration rate at least 60 mL/min * Calcium normal or clinically insignificant Cardiovascular: * No clinically significant cardiac arrhythmia * No congestive heart failure * No complete bundle branch block * No New York Heart Association class III or IV heart disease Other: * Not pregnant or nursing * Negative pregnancy test * Fertile patients must use effective contraception during and for 6 months after study participation * No psychological, familial, sociological, or geographical condition that would preclude study compliance * No grade 3 or 4 infection without neutropenia * No other serious concurrent systemic disorder that would preclude study therapy * No mental disorder that would preclude study compliance * No grade II or greater neuropathy * No other prior or concurrent malignancy except appropriately treated carcinoma in situ of the cervix, basal cell carcinoma of the skin, or incidental prostate cancer (T1, Gleason score no greater than 6, and PSA less than 0.5 ng/mL) PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY: Biologic therapy: * No prior investigational biologic agents (e.g., antiangiogenic products, signal transduction pathway inhibitors, immunomodulators, or monoclonal antibody therapy) * At least 4 weeks since prior immunotherapy Chemotherapy: * No prior systemic chemotherapy * At least 4 weeks since prior local intravesical chemotherapy Endocrine therapy: * Not specified Radiotherapy: * See Disease Characteristics * No more than 1 prior course of radiotherapy * At least 4 weeks since prior radiotherapy and recovered Surgery: * See Disease Characteristics * Prior urological procedures to relieve urinary tract obstruction and improve renal function allowed (e.g., ureteral stent or percutaneous nephrostomy)