Inclusion Criteria:

- Histologically confirmed adenocarcinoma of the esophagus or gastroesophageal junction

- Metastatic or unresectable local-regional disease

- Osseous metastasis as the only site of disease not eligible

- Measurable disease

- Mediastinal or hilar lymph nodes must be at least 2.0 cm in diameter by CT scan
or MRI to be considered measurable

- No known brain metastases

- Performance status - Zubrod 0-2

- Performance status - Karnofsky 60-100%

- At least 12 weeks

- Absolute granulocyte count at least 1,500/mm^3

- Platelet count at least 100,000/mm^3

- Hemoglobin at least 8 g/dL

- Bilirubin no greater than 1.5 mg/dL

- SGOT and/or SGPT no greater than 2.0 times upper limit of normal (ULN)

- Creatinine no greater than 1.5 times ULN

- Creatinine clearance at least 60 mL/min

- Calcium no greater than 12 mg/dL

- No symptomatic hypercalcemia under treatment

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

- No angina within the past 6 months

- No myocardial infarction within the past 6 months

- No congestive heart failure within the past 6 months

- Not pregnant or nursing

- Negative pregnancy test

- Fertile patients must use effective contraception

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

- Prior malignancies with no evidence of disease for at least 2 years are allowed

- No serious concurrent infection that is uncontrolled or whose control could be
jeopardized by complications of study therapy

- No concurrent nonmalignant medical illness that is uncontrolled or whose control
could be jeopardized by complications of study therapy

- No psychiatric disorder or other condition that would preclude study compliance

- No prior immunotherapy (including adjuvant or preoperative regimens)

- No concurrent biological response modifiers

- No concurrent filgrastim (G-CSF) or sargramostim (GM-CSF)

- No prior chemotherapy (including adjuvant or preoperative regimens and
radiosensitizers)

- At least 4 weeks since prior radiotherapy and recovered

- No prior radiotherapy to major bone marrow containing areas (e.g., pelvis or lumbar
spine) or area that contained the indicator lesion

- No prior radiotherapy involving 30% or more of the bone marrow

- No concurrent radiotherapy

- At least 2 weeks since prior major surgery (4 days for minor surgery) and recovered

- No other concurrent investigational drugs

- No other concurrent antineoplastic therapy