DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:

• Histologically confirmed adenocarcinoma of the pancreas

  • Locally advanced and unresectable disease OR
  • Metastatic disease

• At least 1 unidimensionally measurable lesion

  • At least 20 mm by conventional techniques OR at least 10 mm by spiral CT scan
  • Indicator lesion within field of prior irradiation must have evidence of disease progression
• No brain metastases

PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:

Age:

• Over 18

Performance status:

• ECOG 0-1 OR
• Karnofsky 70-100%

Life expectancy:

• Not specified

Hematopoietic:

• Absolute granulocyte count greater than 1,500/mm^3
• Platelet count greater than 150,000/mm^3

Hepatic:

• Bilirubin less than 1.5 mg/dL

Renal:

• Creatinine less than 1.5 mg/dL

Cardiovascular:

• No history of active angina
• No myocardial infarction within the past 6 months

• No history of significant ventricular arrhythmia requiring antiarrhythmics

  • Well-controlled atrial fibrillation on standard management allowed

Other:

• No history of HIV disease

• No other active malignancy within the past 5 years except nonmelanoma skin cancer or carcinoma in situ of the cervix

  • Prior T1a or b prostate cancer (detected incidentally during transurethral resection of prostate [TURP] and comprising less than 5% of resected tissue) is allowed provided PSA normal since TURP
• No serious concurrent infection
• No concurrent uncontrolled nonmalignant medical illness (control must not preclude study participation)
• No psychiatric disorder that would preclude study participation
• No other medical condition that would preclude study participation
• No pre-existing neurotoxicity grade 3 or greater
• Not pregnant or nursing
• Negative pregnancy test
• Fertile patients must use effective contraception during and for 2 months after study participation

PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:

Biologic therapy:

• Prior biologic therapy (e.g., trastuzumab [Herceptin], epidermal growth factor receptor antagonists, or ras inhibitors) allowed
• Prior adjuvant vaccine therapy allowed
• No prior biological response modifiers
• No concurrent immunotherapy

Chemotherapy:

• No more than 2 courses of prior standard cytotoxic chemotherapy for pancreatic cancer, including any of the following:

  • One course of neoadjuvant, adjuvant, or definitive chemoradiotherapy
  • One course of chemotherapy alone (e.g., gemcitabine or combination chemotherapy)
  • One course of chemoradiotherapy followed by chemotherapy alone (e.g., gemcitabine)
• No prior taxanes (e.g., paclitaxel) for pancreatic cancer
• No other concurrent chemotherapy

Endocrine therapy:

• Not specified

Radiotherapy:

• See Disease Characteristics
• See Chemotherapy
• Prior radiotherapy allowed
• No concurrent radiotherapy

Surgery:

• Not specified

Other:

• Recovered from prior therapy
• At least 4 weeks since other prior therapy for this disease