DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:

• Histologically confirmed cancer of the urinary bladder, including the following cellular types:

  • Transitional cell carcinoma
  • Adenocarcinoma
  • Squamous cell carcinoma
• Requires cystectomy as standard therapy and scheduled to undergo surgery
• Ineligible for neoadjuvant chemotherapy

PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:

Age

• Not specified

Performance status

• ECOG 0-1

Life expectancy

• At least 6 months

Hematopoietic

• Absolute neutrophil count greater than 1,500/mm^3
• Platelet count greater than 75,000/mm^3

Hepatic

• No history of liver disease and/or history of hepatitis that may suggest persistent disease
• SGOT less than 2 times normal
• Bilirubin less than 2.0 mg/dL
• No presence of liver function abnormalities

Renal

• Creatinine less than 1.5 mg/dL OR
• Creatinine clearance greater than 60 mL/min

Cardiovascular

• No active ischemic heart disease (i.e., New York Heart Association class III or IV cardiac disease)
• No myocardial infarction within the past 6 months
• No history of congestive heart failure
• No history of ventricular arrhythmias or other arrhythmias requiring therapy

Immunologic

• No history of autoimmune disease, including, but not limited to, the following:

  • Autoimmune neutropenia, thrombocytopenia, or hemolytic anemia
  • Systemic lupus erythematosus
  • Sjögren's syndrome
  • Scleroderma
  • Myasthenia gravis
  • Goodpasture's syndrome
  • Addison's disease
  • Hashimoto's thyroiditis
  • Active Graves' disease
• No immunodeficiency disorder (e.g., AIDS, SCID, or Wiskott-Aldrich syndrome)
• No other immunodeficiency disease

Other

• Not pregnant or nursing
• Negative pregnancy test
• All patients must abstain from sexual intercourse during and for at least 1 month after final treatment dose
• No known allergy to eggs
• No prior exposure to liver toxins
• No ongoing alcohol consumption or exposure to other liver toxins
• No active uncontrolled infection
• No other active malignancy within the past 5 years except superficial squamous cell or basal cell skin cancer or carcinoma in situ of the cervix or prostate
• No other medical illness that would preclude study participation
• No uncontrolled psychiatric illness that would preclude study compliance

PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:

Biologic therapy

• At least 4 weeks since prior immunotherapy
• At least 2 months since prior intravesical BCG

Chemotherapy

• No prior neoadjuvant chemotherapy
• At least 4 weeks since prior systemic chemotherapy
• At least 2 months since prior intravesical chemotherapy

Endocrine therapy

• At least 4 weeks since prior systemic steroids
• No concurrent or imminent steroid therapy

Radiotherapy

• No prior radiotherapy to the bladder
• At least 4 weeks since prior radiotherapy

Surgery

• Not specified

Other

• Recovered from prior therapy
• No concurrent acetaminophen
• No concurrent active antibiotic therapy except as prophylaxis
• No concurrent immunosuppressive therapy