Inclusion Criteria

DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:

- Histologically or cytologically confirmed ductal adenocarcinoma of the pancreas

- Locally advanced or metastatic disease not amenable to curative surgical
resection

- Macroscopic residual disease after prior resection with histological
confirmation is allowed

- Unidimensionally measurable disease

- No intracerebral metastases or meningeal carcinomatosis

PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:

Age:

- Over 18

Performance status:

- WHO 0-2

Life expectancy:

- More than 3 months

Hematopoietic:

- WBC greater than 3,000/mm3

- Neutrophil count greater than 1,500/mm3

- Platelet count greater than 100,000/mm3

Hepatic:

- Bilirubin less than 2 mg/dL

Renal:

- Creatinine less than 2 mg/dL

- Creatinine clearance greater than 50 mL/min

Cardiovascular:

- No New York Heart Association class III or IV heart disease

- No uncontrolled angina pectoris

Other:

- No other prior malignancy except nonmelanoma skin cancer or carcinoma in situ of the
cervix

- No other concurrent uncontrolled medical condition

- No other medical or psychiatric condition that would preclude study

- No known hypersensitivity to fluorouracil

- No dihydropyrimidine dehydrogenase deficiency

- No known malabsorption syndromes

- Not pregnant or nursing

- Fertile patients must use effective contraception

PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:

Biologic therapy:

- Not specified

Chemotherapy:

- No prior chemotherapy (including preoperative or adjuvant) for this disease

- No other concurrent cytotoxic chemotherapy

Endocrine therapy:

- Not specified

Radiotherapy:

- No prior radiotherapy (including preoperative or adjuvant) for this disease

Surgery:

- See Disease Characteristics

Other:

- No prior investigational drugs (including preoperative or adjuvant) for this disease

- No other concurrent investigational drugs

- No concurrent dipyridamole or allopurinol

- No concurrent sorivudine or sorivudine analogs (e.g., brivudine) (capecitabine arm
only)