S0353, Gemcitabine in Treating Patients With Recurrent Bladder Cancer That Has Not Responded to Previous Bacillus Calmette-Guerin

DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS: * Histologically confirmed superficial transitional cell carcinoma (TCC) of the bladder meeting 1 of the following stage criteria: * Stage T1, grade 2-3 * Stage Tis * Stage Ta, grade 3-4 or multifocal (\> 2 lesions) * Must have received and failed ≥ 2 courses of intravesical Bacillus Calmette-Guerin (BCG) (one 6-week course, plus one 3-week course, or fewer weeks if BCG was discontinued due to side effects) within the past 3 years * Recurrent disease * Must have had a transurethral resection of the bladder tumor (TURBT) or bladder biopsy within the past 60 days documenting tumor recurrence and tumor stage and grade * TURBT or biopsy must have been performed ≥ 6 weeks after the completion of BCG and/or other immunotherapy treatment (or ≥ 14 days after completion of intravesical chemotherapy treatment) * All visible tumor must have been resected at the time of the last biopsy * No evidence of urethral or renal pelvis TCC by upper tract radiological imaging (e.g., intravenous pyelogram, CT urogram, or retrograde pyelogram) within the past 2 years PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS: Age * 18 and over Performance status * Zubrod 0-2 Life expectancy * Not specified Hematopoietic * Not specified Hepatic * Not specified Renal * Not specified Other * Not pregnant or nursing * Fertile patients must use effective contraception * No other malignancy within the past 5 years except adequately treated basal cell or squamous cell skin cancer, …