Treatments and/or Procedures

Study Criteria

Inclusion Criteria:

  -  Histologically confirmed high-grade upper tract transitional cell carcinoma at MSKCC
     or a participating site and/or radiographically visible tumor stage T2-T4a N0/X M0
     disease with positive selective urinary cytology. Hydronephrosis associated with tumor
     on imaging or biopsy will be considered invasive by definition.

  -  Medically appropriate candidate for radical nephroureterectomy or ureterectomy as per
     MSKCC or a participating site attending urologic oncologist

  -  Karnofsky Performance Status ≥ 70%

  -  Age ≥ 18 years of age

  -  Required Initial Laboratory Values:

Absolute neutrophil count ≥ 1500 cells/mm3 Platelets ≥ 100,000 cells/mm3 Hemoglobin ≥
9.0g/dL Bilirubin ≤ 1.5 Aspartate transaminase (AST) and alanine transaminase (ALT) ≤ 2.5 x
ULN for the institution Alkaline phosphatase ≤ 2.5 x upper limit of normal (ULN) for the
institution Serum creatinine ≤ 1.5 mg/dL and calculated creatinine clearance ≥ 55 If female
of childbearing potential, serum pregnancy test is negative.

  -  Patients with reproductive potential must use an effective method to avoid pregnancy
     for the duration of the trial.

ml/min/1.73m2 using the formula: Chronic kidney disease (CKD) epi : glomerular filtration
rate (GFR) = 141 X min(Scr/κ,1)α X max(Scr/κ,1)-1.209 X 0.993 Age X 1.018 [if female] X
1.159 [if black]

  -  Scr is serum creatinine, k is 0.7 for females and 0.9 for males, a is -0.329 for
     females and -0.411 for males, min indicates the minimum of Scr/k or 1, and max
     indicates the maximum of Scr/k or 1.

  -  If female of childbearing potential, serum pregnancy test is negative.

  -  Patients with reproductive potential must use an effective method to avoid pregnancy
     for the duration of the trial

Exclusion Criteria:

  -  Concomitant bladder urothelial carcinoma is acceptable if it is organ confined and
     surgically resectable.

  -  Presence of carcinoma in situ (CIS)

  -  Prior systemic chemotherapy (prior intravesical therapy is allowed)

  -  Prior radiation therapy to the bladder

  -  Evidence of New York Heart Association (NYHA) functional class III or IV heart
     disease.

  -  Serious intercurrent medical or psychiatric illness, including serious active
     infection.

  -  Preexisting sensory grade 3 neuropathy

  -  Major surgery or radiation therapy < 4 weeks of starting study treatment.

  -  Concomitant use of any other investigational drugs

  -  Any of the following within the 6 months prior to study drug administration:

myocardial infarction, severe/unstable angina, coronary/peripheral artery bypass graft,
symptomatic congestive heart failure, cerebrovascular accident or transient ischemic
attack, or pulmonary embolism.

  -  Ongoing cardiac dysrhythmias of NCI CTCAE Version 4.0 grade ≥ 2.

  -  Uncontrolled hypertension (>150/100 mmHg despite optimal medical therapy).

  -  Known human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) or acquired immunodeficiency syndrome
     (AIDS)-related illness or other active infection. Patients with HIV but no evidence of
     AIDS will be considered candidates.

  -  Concurrent treatment on another clinical trial involving an intervention which may
     affect the primary endpoint. Supportive care trials or non-treatment trials, e.g. QOL,
     are allowed.

  -  Ongoing treatment with therapeutic doses of warfarin or low molecular weight heparin
     (low dose warfarin up to 2 mg po daily or use of subcutaneous low molecular weight
     heparin for thromboembolic prophylaxis is allowed).

  -  Pregnancy or breast-feeding. Patients must be surgically sterile or be postmenopausal,
     or must agree to use effective contraception during the period of therapy. The
     definition of effective contraception will be based on the judgment of the MSKCC and
     participating site PI. Male patients must be surgically sterile or agree to use
     effective contraception