OUTLINE: Patients receive fluorouracil IV on days 1, 8, 15, and 22, followed by gemcitabine IV over 30 minutes on days 29, 36, 43, and 50. Interferon alfa is administered subcutaneously 3 times weekly beginning on day 1. Beginning on day 2, interleukin-2 is administered subcutaneously 3 times weekly for the first 4 weeks of the treatment course. Treatment is repeated every 8 weeks for up to 4 courses in the absence of unacceptable toxic effects and disease progression. Following chemobiotherapy, maintenance therapy is administered to patients with stable or responding disease. Patients receive subcutaneous interferon alfa 3 times weekly at the maximum tolerated dose until disease progression or for a maximum of 1 year. A quality of life assessment is completed weekly. Patients are followed until death.