Gemcitabine Hydrochloride With or Without Bevacizumab in Treating Patients Who Are Undergoing Surgery for Pancreatic Cancer

Inclusion Criteria

• •DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:
• •Histologically or cytologically confirmed adenocarcinoma of the pancreas
• •No evidence of distant metastasis on laparoscopy
• •No superior mesenteric artery or thrombosed superior mesenteric vein involvement
• •Superior mesenteric vein or portal vein involvement allowed
• •Evidence of a pancreatic mass by radiographic or endoscopic examination
• •PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:
• •Performance status
• •ECOG 0-1
• •Life expectancy
• •Not specified
• •Hematopoietic
• •WBC ≥ 2,500/mm\^3
• •Absolute neutrophil count ≥ 1,250/mm\^3
• •Platelet count ≥ 100,000/mm\^3
• •Hepatic
• •Hepatitis B surface antigen negative
• •Hepatitis C virus negative
• •No history of hepatic cirrhosis
• •Renal
• •Creatinine ≤ 2.0 mg/dL
• •Proteinuria negative or trace by urinalysis OR
• •Protein \< 1 g on 24 hr urine collection
• •No active gross hematuria
• •Cardiovascular
• •No severe congestive heart failure
• •No active ischemic heart disease
• •No ischemic changes on a cardiac thallium stress test
• •No uncontrolled hypertension (i.e., blood pressure ≤ 150/100 mm Hg despite antihypertensive therapy)
• •No active coagulation disorder
• •Pulmonary
• •No active gross hemoptysis
• •Other
• •Not pregnant or nursing
• •Negative pregnancy test
• •Fertile patients must use effective contraception during the adjuvant therapy part of trial
• •HIV negative
• •No active infection
• •No wound healing problem from recent invasive procedure
• •No significant history of medical illness that would preclude patient from undergoing an operative procedure
• •No other malignancy requiring systemic therapy
• •PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:
• •Biologic therapy
• •Recovered from prior immunotherapy for pancreatic cancer
• •No prior bevacizumab
• •Chemotherapy
• •Recovered from prior chemotherapy for pancreatic cancer
• •No prior gemcitabine hydrochloride
• •Endocrine therapy
• •Recovered from prior hormonal therapy for pancreatic cancer
• •Radiotherapy
• •Recovered from prior radiotherapy for pancreatic cancer
• •No prior radiotherapy to the pancreas
• •Surgery
• •No prior definitive resection of the primary pancreatic tumor
• •Prior surgery, other than resection of the primary tumor, allowed
• •Other
• •More than 3 weeks since prior systemic therapy for this cancer
• •No concurrent therapeutic anticoagulation causing elevated PT or PTT