Inclusion Criteria

DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:

- Histologically or cytologically confirmed epithelial carcinoma of the pancreas

- Unresectable* locally advanced or metastatic disease NOTE: *Documented by
high-quality contrast-enhanced CT scan

- No known or clinical evidence of CNS metastasis

PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:

Age

- 18 and over

Performance status

- ECOG 0-1

Life expectancy

- Not specified

Hematopoietic

- Absolute neutrophil count ≥ 1,500/mm^3

- Platelet count ≥ 100,000/mm^3

Hepatic

- SGOT or SGPT ≤ 2.5 times upper limit of normal (ULN)

- Bilirubin ≤ 1.5 times ULN

Renal

- Creatinine ≤ 1.5 times ULN

Other

- Not pregnant or nursing

- Negative pregnancy test

- Fertile patients must use effective contraception

- No other malignancy within the past 5 years except curatively treated nonmelanoma
skin cancer or carcinoma in situ

- No unstable or serious medical condition

- No psychiatric disorder that would preclude giving informed consent

PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:

Biologic therapy

- Not specified

Chemotherapy

- No prior chemotherapy for pancreatic cancer

- Prior fluorouracil as a radiosensitizer allowed

Endocrine therapy

- Not specified

Radiotherapy

- More than 6 weeks since prior radiotherapy for pancreatic cancer

- Disease must have progressed after completion of radiotherapy

Surgery

- More than 14 days since prior major surgery and recovered

Other

- More than 30 days since prior investigational agents