OBJECTIVES: I. Determine the safety and toxicity of sequential dose intensive adjuvant systemic therapy consisting of gemcitabine, then doxorubin, followed by paclitaxel and cisplatin with filgrastim (granulocyte colony stimulating factor; G-CSF) for patients with completely resected, locally advanced transitional cell carcinoma of the urothelium. II. Assess the disease free and overall survival of these patients.