Cetuximab, Cisplatin, and Irinotecan in Treating Patients With Metastatic Esophageal Cancer, Gastroesophageal Junction Cancer, or Gastric Cancer That Did Not Respond to Previous Irinotecan and Cisplatin

Inclusion Criteria

• •DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:
• •Histologically or cytologically confirmed diagnosis of 1 of the following:
• •* Adenocarcinoma or squamous cell carcinoma of the esophagus
• •* Adenocarcinoma of the gastroesophageal junction
• •* Adenocarcinoma of the stomach
• •Metastatic disease
• •Measurable disease by diagnostic CT scan or MRI
• •Failed prior treatment with cisplatin and irinotecan hydrochloride, defined by the following:
• •* Radiographic progression within 12 weeks\* from the last dose of prior cisplatin and irinotecan hydrochloride, administered either as adjuvant or neoadjuvant therapy, OR as therapy for metastatic disease NOTE: \*Prior irinotecan hydrochloride and cisplatin must have been administered within the past 12 weeks; other chemotherapy regimens may have been administered between the time of disease progression or prior irinotecan hydrochloride/cisplatin and study entry
• •Pathologic tissue available for immunohistochemistry (IHC) staining for the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR)
• •* Positive or negative EGFR by IHC allowed
• •PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:
• •ECOG performance status (PS) 0-1 OR Karnofsky PS 70-100%
• •Life expectancy \> 3 months
• •WBC ≥ 3,000/mm³
• •Absolute neutrophil count ≥ 1,500/mm³
• •Platelet count ≥ 100,000/mm³
• •Hemoglobin ≥ 9 g/dL
• •Bilirubin normal
• •AST and ALT \< 2.5 times upper limit of normal (ULN) (5 times ULN if liver metastases are present)
• •Creatinine ≤ 2.0 mg/dL
• •Not pregnant or nursing
• •Negative pregnancy test
• •Fertile patients must use effective contraception
• •No prior severe infusion reaction to a monoclonal antibody
• •No history of allergic reactions to compounds of similar chemical or biologic composition to irinotecan hydrochloride, cisplatin, or other study agents
• •No prior intolerance to irinotecan hydrochloride or cisplatin despite prior dose attenuations
• •No uncontrolled illness including, but not limited to, any of the following:
• •* Ongoing or active infection requiring parenteral antibiotics
• •* Symptomatic congestive heart failure
• •* Unstable angina pectoris
• •* Uncontrolled hypertension
• •* Clinically significant cardiac arrhythmia
• •* Myocardial infarction within the past 6 months
• •* HIV infection
• •* Psychiatric illness or social situations that would preclude study compliance
• •No history of Gilbert's disease
• •No medical condition or reason that would preclude study treatment
• •PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:
• •See Disease Characteristics
• •More than 3 weeks since prior chemotherapy or radiotherapy and recovered
• •No more than 2 prior treatment regimens for metastatic disease
• •No prior therapy specifically and directly targeting the epidermal growth factor receptor pathway
• •No prior anticancer murine or chimeric monoclonal antibody therapy
• •* Prior humanized monoclonal antibody therapy allowed
• •No concurrent antiseizure medications known to affect the metabolism of irinotecan hydrochloride, including phenytoin or phenobarbital
• •No other concurrent investigational agents
• •No other concurrent anticancer agents or therapies