OBJECTIVES:
Primary
* To determine the maximum tolerated dose and the recommended phase II dose of erlotinib hydrochloride in combination with gemcitabine hydrochloride and oxaliplatin in patients with advanced biliary tract cancer, pancreatic cancer, duodenal cancer, or ampullary cancer.
Secondary
* To describe any antitumor activity associated with this treatment regimen when given during the dose-escalation and expanded-cohort portions of this study.
* To evaluate e-cadherin, vimentin, fibronectin, amphiregulin, and Kras status in the tumors and assess their relationship to response.
OUTLINE: This is a multicenter, dose-escalation study of erlotinib hydrochloride.
Patients receive gemcitabine hydrochloride IV on day 1, oxaliplatin IV over 2 hours on day 2, and oral erlotinib hydrochloride once daily on days 3-8. Courses repeat every 2 weeks in the absence of disease progression or unacceptable toxicity.
Tumor tissue samples are collected for biomarker and other analysis.
After completion of study treatment, patients are followed up for 30 days.
