Dasatinib and Gemcitabine Hydrochloride or Gemcitabine Hydrochloride Alone in Treating Patients With Pancreatic Cancer Previously Treated With Surgery

PRIMARY OBJECTIVES: I. To compare disease-free survival at 18 months between dasatinib-gemcitabine combination therapy and single-agent gemcitabine. SECONDARY OBJECTIVES: I. To evaluate effects on disease-free survival of the dasatinib-gemcitabine combination therapy compared with gemcitabine alone for adjuvant treatment of resected pancreatic adenocarcinoma. II. To evaluate effects on overall survival of dasatinib-gemcitabine combination therapy compared with gemcitabine alone for adjuvant treatment of resected pancreatic adenocarcinoma. III. To evaluate tolerability and safety of the two arms. IV. To identify potential biological correlates associated with clinical benefit to dasatinib-gemcitabine combination therapy compared with gemcitabine alone. OUTLINE: Patients are randomized to 1 of 2 treatment arms. ARM I: Patients receive gemcitabine hydrochloride IV on days 1, 8, and 15. Treatment repeats every 28 days for 6 courses in the absence of disease progression or unacceptable toxicity. ARM II: Patients receive gemcitabine hydrochloride IV on days 1, 8, and 15 and oral dasatinib once daily on days 1-28. Treatment repeats every 28 days for 6 courses\* in the absence of disease progression or unacceptable toxicity. NOTE: \* Courses with dasatinib repeat every 28 days for 1 year in the absence of disease progression or unacceptable toxicity. After completion of study treatment, patients are followed up every 3 months for 2 years.