Triapine and Gemcitabine Hydrochloride in Gallbladder Cancer

OBJECTIVES: I. To determine the objective response rates for the combination of triapine and gemcitabine in patients with primary tumors of the biliary ducts and gall bladder. II. To assess the toxicities and recovery from toxicities for patients with biliary duct and gall bladder tumors treated with the combination of triapine and gemcitabine. III. To determine the survival and progression free survival of patients with biliary and gall bladder tumors treated with the combination of triapine and gemcitabine. OUTLINE: This is a non-randomized, multicenter study. Patients are stratified according to bilirubin levels (normal vs abnormal). Patients receive 3-AP (Triapine) IV over 4 hours followed by gemcitabine IV over 30 minutes on days 1, 8, and 15. Treatment repeats every 28 days for up to 12 courses in the absence of disease progression or unacceptable toxicity. Patients achieving a complete response (CR) receive 1 additional course beyond CR. Patients are followed every 3 months for up to 2 years.