OUTLINE: Patients receive methotrexate IV on days 1 and 8 and docetaxel IV over 1 hour on day 8 every 3 weeks for 9 weeks. Patients then receive cisplatin IV over 2 hours on day 1 and gemcitabine IV over 100 minutes on days 1 and 8 every 3 weeks for 9 weeks. This 18 week sequential regimen constitutes 1 full course. Treatment continues in the absence of unacceptable toxicity or disease progression.