Gemcitabine and Monoclonal Antibody Therapy in Treating Patients With Metastatic Cancer of the Pancreas

You may be eligible if

• DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:
• Histologically proven metastatic pancreatic cancer with overexpression of HER2/neu
• Patients in whom there is inadequate tissue to evaluate for HER2/neu overexpression but who have elevated serum HER2/neu antigen levels are eligible
• Radiographically measurable disease
• * May have metastatic disease in which primary lesion is measurable but metastatic lesions are not measurable
• * Ascites is not measurable
• PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:
• Age:
• Over 18
• Performance status:
• ECOG 0-2
• Life expectancy:
• Not specified
• Hematopoietic:
• Granulocyte count at least 1,500/mm3
• Platelet count at least 100,000/mm3
• Hepatic:
• Bilirubin no greater than 3.0 mg/dL
• * Greater than 3 times normal if increase in bilirubin is due to biliary obstruction from tumor as long as biliary system is stented or bypassed and bilirubin, SGOT, or SGPT is stable or decreasing
• SGOT no greater than 3 times normal
• * No greater than 5 times normal if liver metastases present OR
• * Greater than 5 times normal if increase in SGOT or SGPT is due to biliary obstruction from tumor as long as biliary system is stented or bypassed and biliary SGOT or SGPT is stable or decreasing
• Renal:
• Creatinine no greater than 2.0 mg/dL
• Cardiovascular:
• No unstable angina
• No prior congestive heart failure
• No prior myocardial infarction
• LVEF at least 45% by MUGA or echocardiogram
• Other:
• Not pregnant
• Fertile patients must use effective contraception
• PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:
• Biologic therapy:
• No prior trastuzumab
• No concurrent growth factors
• Chemotherapy:
• No prior anthracyclines
• No prior gemcitabine except prior low dose (no greater than 300 mg/m2/week) gemcitabine with radiotherapy
• At least 6 months since prior adjuvant therapy
• More than 2 weeks since other prior chemotherapy
• No other concurrent cytotoxic chemotherapy
• Endocrine therapy:
• Not specified
• Radiotherapy:
• See Chemotherapy
• More than 2 weeks since prior radiotherapy
• No concurrent radiotherapy
• Surgery:
• Not specified
• Other:
• No other concurrent investigational agents