OUTLINE: Patients receive radiation therapy 5 days per week for 5 1/2 weeks and gemcitabine IV over 30 minutes not greater than 2 hours prior to radiation therapy twice weekly. This combination radiation therapy and chemotherapy is followed by 2 weeks of rest. Patients with stable or responding disease receive a higher dose of gemcitabine IV over 30 minutes weekly for 3 weeks followed by 1 week of rest. This 4 week course is repeated 3 more times for a total of 16 weeks of gemcitabine therapy alone. Patients are followed every 2 months for the first year and then every 3 months for the next 2 years or until disease progression. Upon documentation of disease progression, patients are followed every 3 months for survival and secondary malignancy.