Combination Chemotherapy Followed by Surgery and Intraperitoneal Chemotherapy in Treating Patients With Locally Advanced Stomach Cancer

DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS: Histologically proven locally advanced adenocarcinoma of the stomach or gastroesophageal (GE) junction that is potentially curable by surgery Patients with tumors involving the GE junction must have the bulk of their disease in the stomach No tumors of the distal esophagus or GE junction that extend less than 2 cm into the stomach Tumor stage T2, N1-2, M0 OR T3-4, any N, M0 by physical exam, CT scan, and laparoscopy

PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS: Age: Any age Performance status: Karnofsky 60-100% Life expectancy: Not specified Hematopoietic: WBC at least 4,000/mm3 Platelet count at least 150,000/mm3 Hepatic: Bilirubin less than 2 mg/dL SGOT and/or SGPT no greater than 2.5 times upper limit of normal (ULN) if alkaline phosphatase no greater than ULN OR Alkaline phosphatase no greater than 4 times ULN if SGOT and/or SGPT no greater than ULN Ineligible if SGOT and SGPT greater than 1.5 times ULN AND alkaline phosphatase greater than 2.5 times ULN Renal: Blood urea nitrogen no greater than 30 mg/dL Creatinine no greater than 1.5 mg/dL AND/OR Creatinine clearance greater than 50 mL/min Cardiovascular: No New York Heart Association class III or IV heart disease No active angina or myocardial infarction within the past 6 months No history of significant ventricular arrhythmia requiring medication with antiarrhythmics or significant conduction system abnormality Other: No clinically significant auditory impairment No worse than grade 2 preexisting peripheral neuropathy No other malignancy within the past 5 years except nonmelanomatous skin cancer or carcinoma in situ of the cervix Not pregnant or nursing Negative pregnancy test Fertile patients must use effective contraception No serious concurrent infection or nonmalignant illness that is uncontrolled or whose control may be jeopardized by complications of study therapy No psychiatric disorder that would preclude compliance

PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY: Biologic therapy: Not specified Chemotherapy: No prior chemotherapy Endocrine therapy: Not specified Radiotherapy: No prior radiotherapy Surgery: See Disease Characteristics