DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:

• Histologically or cytologically confirmed adenocarcinoma or carcinoma of the pancreas that is metastatic and not amenable to resection with curative intent

  • No locally advanced disease

• Measurable disease

  • Primary mass in the pancreas is not considered measurable disease
  • Measurable disease must be outside a previous radiation field OR a new lesion must be present inside the port

• Must have received 1 (and only 1) prior systemic regimen for metastatic disease

  • Chemotherapy administered as adjuvant therapy or radiation sensitization is not considered a regimen if it was received ≥ 6 months ago
  • A systemic regimen administered for unresectable locally advanced disease that subsequently progressed to metastatic will be counted as 1 prior regimen

• No known brain metastases

  • Brain imaging studies are not required if patient has no neurological signs or symptoms of brain metastases

PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:

• ECOG performance status (PS) 0-1 OR Karnofsky PS 70-100%
• Absolute neutrophil count ≥ 1,500/mm³
• Platelet count ≥ 100,000/mm³
• Hemoglobin ≥ 9 g/dL
• Bilirubin ≤ 1.5 times upper limit of normal (ULN)
• AST and ALT ≤ 2.5 times ULN (5 times ULN if liver metastasis is present)
• Creatinine ≤ 1.5 mg/dL OR creatinine clearance ≥ 60 mL/min

• No significant history of cardiac disease, including any of the following:

  • Unstable angina
  • New York Heart Association class III or IV congestive heart failure
  • Myocardial infarction within the past 6 months
• No neurotoxicity > grade 1

• No other prior malignancy requiring active treatment

  • No radiographic evidence of a second malignancy
• Not pregnant or nursing
• Negative pregnancy test
• Fertile patients must use effective contraception

PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:

• See Disease Characteristics
• Prior cisplatin or oxaliplatin allowed
• At least 3 weeks since prior radiation therapy and recovered
• At least 2 weeks since prior major surgery and recovered
• At least 4 weeks since prior chemotherapy (2 weeks for chemotherapy administered on a daily or weekly schedule) and recovered
• No prior carboplatin, bortezomib, or another proteasome inhibitor

• No other concurrent anticancer treatment, including any of the following:

  • Chemotherapy
  • Radiation therapy
  • Biologic agents
  • Other investigational drugs
• No concurrent combination antiretroviral therapy for HIV-positive patients
• Adjuvant hormonal therapy for breast cancer or prostate cancer allowed