Combination Chemotherapy and Radiation Therapy in Treating Patients With Pancreatic Cancer

Inclusion Criteria

• •DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:
• •Histologically confirmed pancreatic adenocarcinoma
• •* Non-metastatic disease that is unresectable due to any of the following:
• •* Tumor greater than 5 cm
• •* Bulky lymph nodes greater than 2 cm, but within the radiation port
• •* Vascular involvement or impingement of major vessels
• •* Involvement of colon, adrenal glands, or kidney
• •Measurable or evaluable disease
• •No prior therapy for pancreatic adenocarcinoma
• •No peritoneal seeding or other evidence of metastatic disease by laparotomy or laparoscopy
• •PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:
• •Age:
• •18 and over
• •Performance status:
• •CTC 0-2
• •Life expectancy:
• •Not specified
• •Hematopoietic:
• •WBC at least 3,000/mm\^3
• •Platelet count at least 100,000/mm\^3
• •Hepatic:
• •Bilirubin no greater than 2.0 mg/dL
• •AST no greater than 3 times upper limit of normal
• •Renal:
• •Creatinine no greater than 2.0 mg/dL
• •Cardiovascular:
• •No myocardial infarction within the past 6 months
• •Other:
• •No other uncontrolled serious medical or psychiatric illness that would preclude study compliance
• •No other malignancy within the past 5 years except limited or curatively treated basal cell or squamous cell skin cancer or carcinoma in situ of the cervix
• •Not pregnant or nursing
• •Negative pregnancy test
• •Fertile patients must use effective contraception
• •PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:
• •Biologic therapy:
• •See Disease Characteristics
• •Chemotherapy:
• •See Disease Characteristics
• •Endocrine therapy:
• •See Disease Characteristics
• •Radiotherapy:
• •No prior abdominal radiotherapy
• •Surgery:
• •At least 2 weeks since prior major surgery