Combination Chemotherapy as First-Line Therapy in Treating Patients With Metastatic Pancreatic Cancer

Inclusion Criteria

• •DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:
• •Histologically or cytologically confirmed adenocarcinoma of the pancreas
• •* No other pancreatic tumor type, including either of the following:
• •* Neuroendocrine tumor
• •* Acinar cell tumor
• •* Metastatic disease
• •Measurable disease in an area not previously irradiated
• •No cerebral metastases or meningeal involvement of the tumor
• •PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:
• •Age
• •18 to 75
• •Performance status
• •WHO 0-1
• •Life expectancy
• •Not specified
• •Hematopoietic
• •Absolute neutrophil count ≥ 1,500/mm\^3
• •Platelet count ≥ 100,000/mm\^3
• •Hepatic
• •Bilirubin ≤ 1.5 times upper limit of normal (biliary drainage allowed)
• •Renal
• •Creatinine \< 120 mmol/L
• •Cardiovascular
• •No prior myocardial infarction
• •No prior angina
• •No uncompensated cardiac or coronary insufficiency
• •No symptomatic arrhythmia
• •Gastrointestinal
• •No prior inflammatory bowel disease
• •No prior chronic diarrhea
• •No unresolved symptomatic occlusion or subocclusion of the bowel
• •Other
• •Not pregnant or nursing
• •Fertile patients must use effective contraception
• •No ongoing active infection
• •No other malignancy except basal cell or squamous cell skin cancer or carcinoma in situ of the cervix
• •No contraindication to study treatment
• •No other serious medical disorder that would preclude study treatment
• •No psychiatric disorder or social or geographic situation that would preclude study participation
• •Not detained or under the guardianship of another person
• •PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:
• •Biologic therapy
• •Not specified
• •Chemotherapy
• •No prior chemotherapy
• •Endocrine therapy
• •Not specified
• •Radiotherapy
• •No prior radiotherapy
• •Surgery
• •Not specified
• •Other
• •No concurrent participation in another clinical trial using therapeutic experimental agents