Hyperthermia and Mitomycin C, Bacillus Calmette-Guerin, or Standard Therapy as Second-Line Therapy in Treating Patients With Recurrent Bladder Cancer

DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:

* Diagnosis of non-muscle invasive bladder cancer
* Recurrent disease after undergoing induction or maintenance therapy with bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG), meeting any 1 of the following criteria:

  * Stage Ta or T1 disease (grade 2 or 3)
  * Carcinoma in situ with stage Ta or T1 disease (grade 1, 2, or 3)
  * Carcinoma in situ alone
* Has undergone a second resection of all T1 disease to exclude muscle invasive disease
* No urothelial cell carcinoma (UCC) ≥ T2
* No recurrence of grade 1 UCC following BCG induction therapy
* No UCC involving the prostatic urethra or upper urinary tract

PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:

* WHO performance status 0-4
* WBC ≥ 3.0 x 10\^9/L
* Absolute neutrophil count ≥ 1.5 x 10\^9/L
* Hemoglobin ≥ 10 g/dL
* Platelet count ≥ 100 x 10\^9/L
* Serum creatinine \< 1.5 times upper limit of normal
* Not pregnant or nursing
* Negative pregnancy test
* Fertile patients must use effective contraception
* Normal kidneys and ureters on imaging CT scan within the past 12 months
* Available for long-term follow-up with a life expectancy of the duration of the trial
* Must be fit and willing to undergo a full or partial cystectomy
* No known or suspected reduced bladder capacity (\< 250 mL)
* No significant bleeding disorder
* No other malignancy within the past 5 years except nonmelanomatous skin cancer cured by excision, adequately treated carcinoma in situ of the cervix, or DCIS/LCIS of the breast
* No known allergy to mitomycin or bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG), or previously withdrawn from BCG treatment due to a related adverse event (e.g., systemic infection)
* No active or intractable urinary tract infection
* No urethral stricture or any situation impeding the insertion of a 20F catheter
* No bladder diverticula \> 1 cm
* No significant urinary incontinence
* No concurrent implanted electronic devices (e.g., cardiac pacemakers) or metallic implants within the pelvis, lower torso, spine, hip, or upper femur
* No immunocompromised state for any reason

PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:

* At least 6 months since prior intravesical chemotherapy, except for single instillation post-transurethral resection
* No prior pelvic irradiation
* No prior hyperthermia in combination with intravesical mitomycin
* Concurrent participation in other studies allowed
* No current or long-term use of corticosteroids
* No concurrent chemotherapy