Fluorouracil Plus Radiation Therapy Following Surgery in Treating Patients With Pancreatic Cancer

Inclusion Criteria

• •DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:
• •Histologically confirmed pancreatic adenocarcinoma
• •Complete macroscopic resection of tumor within past 30 days
• •No residual visceral or peritoneal metastasis
• •Involvement of Vater's ampulla or extrahepatic bile duct allowed
• •No vesicular or intrahepatic cholangiocarcinomas
• •PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:
• •Age:
• •18 to 75
• •Performance status:
• •ECOG 0-2
• •Life expectancy:
• •Not specified
• •Hematopoietic:
• •Absolute neutrophil count greater than 1,500/mm\^3
• •Platelet count greater than 100,000/mm\^3
• •Hepatic:
• •Alkaline phosphatase less than 3 times normal
• •Bilirubin less than 1.5 times normal
• •Renal:
• •Creatinine less than 1.5 times normal
• •Cardiovascular:
• •No serious cardiac failure
• •Pulmonary:
• •No serious respiratory failure
• •Other:
• •No other untreatable malignant tumors
• •No serious psychological, familial, social, or geographical conditions that would preclude study
• •PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:
• •Biologic therapy:
• •Not specified
• •Chemotherapy:
• •No prior chemotherapy for pancreatic adenocarcinoma
• •Endocrine therapy:
• •Not specified
• •Radiotherapy:
• •No prior radiotherapy for pancreatic adenocarcinoma
• •No prior radiotherapy in an anatomically proximal region to treatment area
• •Surgery:
• •See Disease Characteristics