Carboplatin and Gemcitabine Hydrochloride With or Without Vandetanib as First-Line Therapy in Treating Patients With Locally Advanced or Metastatic Urinary Tract Cancer

DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS: * Histologically confirmed transitional cell carcinoma (pure or mixed histology) of the urothelium (upper or lower urinary tract) * Cancers with other pathologies are permitted provided the dominant morphology is transitional cell carcinoma * Radiologically measurable disease according to RECIST v 1.1 criteria * Locally advanced and/or metastatic disease not amenable to curative treatment with surgery or radiotherapy * Patient not suitable for cisplatin therapy, meeting 1 or more of the following criteria: * More than 75 years of age * ECOG performance status \> 2 * Creatinine clearance \< 30 mL/min * Clinically significant ischemic heart disease (myocardial infarction or unstable angina more than 3 but less than 12 months prior to date of randomization, symptomatic angina, or NYHA class I within 3 months prior to date of randomization) * Prior intolerance of cisplatin * Any other factor that, in the opinion of the investigator, indicates that cisplatin is not suitable for the patient (e.g., unilateral hearing loss) PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS: * See Disease Characteristics * ECOG performance status 0-2 * Serum bilirubin ≤ 1.5 times upper limit of normal (ULN) * Creatinine clearance ≥ 30 mL/min * Potassium ≥ 4.0 mmol/L OR below the CTCAE grade 1 upper limit * Magnesium normal OR below the CTCAE grade 1 upper limit * Serum calcium ≤ 2.9 mmol/L (If serum calcium is \< lower limit of normal \[LLN\], then adjusted serum calcium must be ≥ LL…