DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:

• Histologically confirmed gastric or type III gastroesophageal junction adenocarcinoma

  • Stage IB (T1, N1 or T2a/b, N0), II, III (with no evidence of distant metastases), or IV (T4, N1 or N2, M0) disease
  • Resectable disease
• Previously untreated disease

PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:

• WHO performance status 0 or 1
• Absolute neutrophil count ≥ 1,500/mm^3
• Platelet count ≥ 100,000/mm^3
• Hemoglobin ≥ 9 g/dL (can be post transfusion)
• WBC ≥ 3,000/mm^3
• Glomerular filtration rate ≥ 60 mL/min
• Proteinuria ≤ 1 g by 24-hour urine collection
• Bilirubin ≤ 1.5 times upper limit of normal (ULN)
• ALT and AST ≤ 2.5 times ULN
• Alkaline phosphatase ≤ 3 times ULN (in the absence of liver metastases)
• INR ≤ 1.5
• PTT ≤ 1.5 times ULN
• FEV_1 ≥ 1.5 L
• Cardiac ejection fraction ≥ 50% by MUGA scan or echocardiogram
• Not pregnant or nursing
• Negative pregnancy test
• Fertile patients must use effective contraception
• Must be fit enough to receive protocol treatment
• No other malignancies within the past 5 years except for curatively treated basal cell carcinoma of the skin and/or in situ carcinoma of the cervix

• No prior or concurrent significant medical conditions, including any of the following:

  • Cerebrovascular disease (including transient ischemic attack and stroke) within the past year

  • Cardiovascular disease, including the following:

    • Myocardial infarction within the past year
    • Uncontrolled hypertension while receiving chronic medication
    • Unstable angina
    • New York Heart Association class II-IV congestive heart failure
    • Serious cardiac arrhythmia requiring medication
  • Major trauma within the past 28 days
  • Serious nonhealing wound, ulcer, or bone fracture
  • Evidence of bleeding diathesis or coagulopathy

  • Recent history of any active gastrointestinal inflammatory condition (e.g., peptic ulcer disease, diverticulitis, or inflammatory bowel disease)

    • If patients have a known diagnosis of any of the above, evidence of disease control is required by negative endoscopy within the past 28 days
• No severe tinnitus
• No lack of physical integrity of the upper gastrointestinal tract, malabsorption syndrome, or inability to take oral medication
• No known peripheral neuropathy ≥ 1 (absence of deep tendon reflexes as the sole neurological abnormality does not render the patient ineligible)
• No known dihydropyrimidine dehydrogenase deficiency

• No known allergy to any of the following:

  • Chinese hamster ovary cell proteins
  • Other recombinant human or humanized antibodies
  • Any excipients of bevacizumab formulation or platinum compounds
  • Any other components of the study drugs

PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:

• No prior anthracycline
• More than 28 days since prior major surgery or open biopsy
• More than 10 days since prior thrombolytic therapy
• No concurrent thrombolytic therapy
• No concurrent dipyridamole or allopurinol
• No concurrent capecitabine or sorivudine (or sorivudine analogues [e.g., brivudine])
• No chronic, daily high-dose acetylsalicylic acid (> 325 mg/day) or nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs

• No chronic corticosteroids (≥ 10 mg/day methylprednisolone equivalent)

  • Inhaled steroids allowed
• No other concurrent cytotoxic agents
• No other concurrent investigational drugs
• No concurrent radiotherapy
• Low molecular weight heparin allowed