Flavopiridol Plus Radiation Therapy Followed By Gemcitabine Hydrochloride in Treating Patients With Locally Advanced, Unresectable Pancreatic Cancer

You may be eligible if

• Histologically or cytologically confirmed adenocarcinoma of the pancreas
• * No non-adenocarcinoma of the pancreas (i.e., islet cell, lymphoma, or sarcoma)
• * Locally advanced and unresectable disease defined as the following:
• * Obvious encasement of the celiac, hepatic, or superior mesenteric artery
• * Encasement of the portal or superior mesenteric vein not amenable to resection
• * Extrapancreatic extension with or without regional lymph node involvement
• * No distant metastases
• Measurable or evaluable disease
• * Primary pancreatic tumor is considered evaluable, not measurable
• * A lymph node mass is considered measurable
• Performance status - ECOG 0-2
• Performance status - Karnofsky 60-100%
• More than 12 weeks
• WBC at least 3,000/mm\^3
• Absolute neutrophil count at least 1,500/mm\^3
• Platelet count at least 100,000/mm\^3
• Bilirubin no greater than 1.5 mg/dL
• AST and ALT no greater than 2.5 times upper limit of normal
• Creatinine no greater than 1.5 mg/dL
• Creatinine clearance at least 60 mL/min
• No symptomatic congestive heart failure
• No unstable angina pectoris
• No cardiac arrhythmia
• No Crohn's disease or inflammatory bowel disease that would preclude study participation
• No gastrointestinal tract disease resulting in an inability to take oral medication or a requirement for IV alimentation
• No other uncontrolled concurrent illness that would preclude study participation
• No ongoing or active infection
• No psychiatric illness or social situation that would preclude study participation
• Not pregnant or nursing
• Negative pregnancy test
• Fertile patients must use effective contraception
• No prior chemotherapy for this disease except gemcitabine hydrochloride-based therapy for which no radiologic evidence of distant metastatic disease exists
• No prior flavopiridol or other cyclin-dependent kinase therapies
• No prior radiotherapy for this disease
• Prior curative surgery with local recurrence allowed
• No other concurrent investigational therapy
• No concurrent combination antiretroviral therapy for HIV-positive patients