Adjuvant Chemoradiotherapy and Interferon Alfa in Treating Patients With Resected Pancreatic Cancer

OBJECTIVES: * Determine the disease-free and overall survival of patients with resected pancreatic adenocarcinoma treated with adjuvant chemoradiotherapy comprising fluorouracil, cisplatin, and interferon alfa. * Determine the rate and severity of acute and late toxic effects in patients treated with this regimen. * Determine the local-regional disease control and distant disease control in patients treated with this regimen. OUTLINE: This is a multicenter study. * Chemoradiotherapy (CRT): Patients receive fluorouracil IV continuously on days 1-38; cisplatin IV over 1 hour on days 1, 8, 15, 22, 29, and 36; and interferon alfa subcutaneously on days 1, 3, 5, 8, 10, 12, 15, 17, 19, 22, 24, 26, 29, 31, 33, 36, and 38. Patients also undergo radiotherapy on days 1-5, 8-12, 15-19, 22-26, 29-33, and 36-38. * Post-CRT chemotherapy: Beginning 4-6 weeks after the completion of CRT, patients receive fluorouracil IV continuously on days 1-42. Treatment repeats every 56 days for a total of two courses in the absence of disease progression or unacceptable toxicity. Patients are followed every 2 months for 2 years, every 3 months for 1 year, every 4 months for 1 year, every 6 months for 1 year, and then annually thereafter.