Imatinib Mesylate and Gemcitabine in Treating Patients With Locally Advanced, Metastatic, or Recurrent Pancreatic Cancer

OBJECTIVES: Primary * Determine the maximum tolerated dose of imatinib mesylate and gemcitabine hydrochloride in patients with locally advanced, metastatic, or recurrent pancreatic cancer. * Determine the clinical response rate in patients treated with this regimen. * Determine the 6-month and overall survival of patients treated with this regimen. Secondary * Determine the toxicity profile of this regimen in these patients. * Correlate response with expression of platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF) and PDGF receptor in tumor tissue from patients treated with this regimen. OUTLINE: This is a phase I, dose-escalation study followed by a phase II study. * Phase I: Patients receive oral imatinib mesylate once daily on days 1-14 and gemcitabine hydrochloride IV over 30 minutes on days 1 and 8\*. Treatment repeats every 21 days for up to 6 courses in the absence of disease progression or unacceptable toxicity. Cohorts of 3-5 patients receive escalating doses of imatinib mesylate and gemcitabine hydrochloride until the maximum tolerated dose (MTD) is determined. The MTD is defined as the dose preceding that at which 2 of 5 or 3 of 5 patients experience dose-limiting toxicity. NOTE: \*The first cohort receives gemcitabine hydrochloride on days 1, 8, and 15 * Phase II: Patients receive imatinib mesylate and gemcitabine hydrochloride at the MTD determined in phase I in the absence of disease progression or unacceptable toxicity. After completion of study treatment, patients are followed periodically. PROJECTED ACCRUAL: A total of 43 patients will be accrued for this study.