Radiation Therapy and Chemotherapy Following Surgery in Treating Patients With Stage II or Stage III Bladder Cancer

DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS: Histologically confirmed unifocal or multifocal transitional cell carcinoma of the bladder no greater than 5 cm, with evidence of muscle invasion documented by transurethral resection of the bladder (TURB), with no residual visible or palpable tumor mass at the end of TURB Stage II or III (T2-T3, N0, M0) No squamous cell or adenocarcinoma No evidence of pelvic lymph node involvement by CT scan or MRI No evidence of hydronephrosis No evidence of distant metastases No disease in the prostatic urethra

PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS: Age: Under 76 Performance status: WHO 0-2 Life expectancy: Not specified Hematopoietic: WBC at least 4,000/mm3 Platelet count at least 100,000/mm3 Hemoglobin at least 11 g/dL Hepatic: Not specified Renal: See Disease Characteristics Creatinine clearance greater than 50 mL/min Cardiovascular: No progressive ischemic cardiopathy Other: No reduced bladder capacity No prior or concurrent malignancy except basal cell carcinoma or carcinoma in situ of the cervix treated by hysterectomy

PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY: Biologic therapy: Prior immunotherapy for superficial disease allowed No concurrent growth factors Chemotherapy: No prior systemic chemotherapy Prior intravesical chemotherapy or intravesical BCG allowed Endocrine therapy: Not specified Radiotherapy: No prior pelvic radiotherapy Surgery: No prior surgery for bladder cancer except transurethral resection of the bladder