Combination Chemotherapy and Oblimersen in Treating Patients With Advanced Colorectal Cancer

You may be eligible if

• DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:
• Histologically or cytologically confirmed adenocarcinoma of the colon or rectum
• * Unresectable, metastatic, or recurrent disease
• Measurable or evaluable disease (phase I)
• Measurable disease (phase II)
• No known brain metastases
• * Patients with previously treated brain metastases who are not currently receiving steroids and have a stable CT scan or MRI are eligible
• PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:
• Age
• 18 and over
• Performance status
• ECOG 0-2 OR
• Karnofsky 60-100%
• Life expectancy
• At least 12 weeks
• Hematopoietic
• Absolute neutrophil count at least 1,500/mm\^3
• Platelet count at least 100,000/mm\^3
• Hemoglobin at least 9 g/dL
• Hepatic
• Bilirubin no greater than 1.5 mg/dL
• AST/ALT no greater than 2.5 times upper limit of normal (ULN) (5 times ULN if liver metastases are present)
• INR no greater than 1.5 times ULN (unless currently receiving anticoagulant therapy)
• PT/PTT no greater than 1.5 times ULN (unless currently receiving anticoagulant therapy)
• Renal
• Creatinine normal OR
• Creatinine clearance at least 60 mL/min
• Cardiovascular
• No symptomatic congestive heart failure
• No unstable angina pectoris
• No cardiac arrhythmia
• Other
• Not pregnant or nursing
• Negative pregnancy test
• Fertile patients must use effective contraception
• No history of allergic reaction to compounds of similar chemical or biologic composition to fluorouracil or oxaliplatin
• No other concurrent uncontrolled medical condition that would preclude study participation
• No ongoing or active infection
• No psychiatric illness or social situation that would preclude study compliance
• No known history of degenerative facet disease during prior fluorouracil therapy
• No HIV-positive patients receiving combination antiretroviral therapy
• PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:
• Biologic therapy
• No concurrent epoetin alfa during course 1
• No concurrent routine filgrastim (G-CSF) or sargramostim (GM-CSF)
• No concurrent immunotherapy
• Chemotherapy
• At least 4 weeks since prior chemotherapy (6 weeks for nitrosoureas or mitomycin) and recovered
• No prior oxaliplatin
• No other concurrent chemotherapy
• Endocrine therapy
• See Disease Characteristics
• Radiotherapy
• At least 4 weeks since prior radiotherapy and recovered
• No concurrent radiotherapy
• Surgery
• Not specified
• Other
• No prior oblimersen
• No other concurrent investigational agents
• No other concurrent antitumor therapy