Increasing evidence suggests an association between hypoxia and chemoresistance in cancer cells, in particular, through the involvement of HIF‐1α.35, 36 Hypoxia was found to inhibit cisplatin‐induced apoptosis in ovarian cancer cells and enhance chemoresistance to cisplatin.35 In bladder cancer cells, hypoxia was found to activate autophagy and significantly reduce gemcitabine‐induced apoptosis compared with normoxic conditions.36 In agreement with our findings, gemcitabine cytotoxicity was increased in bladder cancer cells when combined with the autophagy inhibitor 3‐MA. The gene discussed is HIF1A; the disease is urinary bladder carcinoma.