Gemcitabine Hydrochloride, Cisplatin, and Sunitinib Malate as First-Line Therapy in Treating Patients With Locally Advanced And/or Metastatic Transitional Cell Carcinoma of the Urothelium (SUCCINCT)

DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS: * Histologically confirmed transitional cell carcinoma of the urothelium * Pure or mixed histology * Upper or lower urinary tract * Radiologically measurable, locally advanced and/or metastatic disease not amenable to curative treatment with surgery or radiotherapy meeting 1 of the following criteria: * T4b (bladder) or T4 (renal pelvis/ureter), any N, any M * Any T, N2-3, any M * Any T, any N, M1 * No urothelial cancer for which subsequent radical treatment is being considered with a view to possibly cure the disease * No history of CNS metastases PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS: * WHO performance status 0-2 * Life expectancy \> 3 months * Absolute neutrophil count ≥ 1.5 x 10\^9/L * Platelet count ≥ 100 x 10\^9/L * Bilirubin ≤ 1.5 times upper limit of normal (ULN) * ALT and ALP ≤ 2.5 times ULN * GFR ≥ 60 mL/min (uncorrected for surface area and measured by isotopic means) * PT or INR ≤ 1.5 times ULN * Not pregnant or nursing * Negative pregnancy test * Fertile patients must use effective contraception * Fit to receive cisplatin-containing combination chemotherapy * No previous malignancy other than nonmelanoma skin cancer, carcinoma in situ of the cervix, or incidental localized prostate cancer * No known HIV positivity or chronic hepatitis B or C infection * No uncontrolled hypertension * No symptomatic coronary artery disease, myocardial infarction within the past 6 months, congestive cardiac failure (NYHA class III-IV disease), or uncontrolled or symptomatic cardiac arrhythmia * No clinically significant bacterial or fungal infection * No concurrent grapefruit juice PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY: * At least 1 month since prior radiotherapy or radiotherapy involving more than 30% of total bone marrow volume * At least 1 month since prior investigational drug * No prior systemic therapy for locally advanced or metastatic disease * Patients who have received prior neoadjuvant or adjuvant chemotherapy for urothelial cancer (up to 4 courses), completed at least 6 months prior to first documented disease progression, are eligible * No concurrent anticoagulant therapy with warfarin or unfractionated heparin * Patients requiring anticoagulation may be entered on study after successful conversion to low molecular weight heparin * No concurrent medications that have known adverse interactions with sunitinib malate (i.e., strong CYP3A4 inhibitors or inducers) * No prior or concurrent live vaccines (e.g., measles, mumps, rubella, oral polio, bacille Calmette-Guérin \[BCG\], yellow fever, varicella, and TY21a typhoid vaccines)