Inclusion Criteria

DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:

- Histologically or cytologically confirmed adenocarcinoma of 1 of the following sites:

- Esophagus

- Gastroesophageal junction

- Gastric cardia

- No greater than 2 cm from the gastroesophageal junction into the stomach

- Unresectable, metastatic disease

- Not a candidate for potentially curative therapy AND no other more reasonable
potentially curative conventional therapy exists

- At least 1 measurable lesion ≥ 2.0 cm by conventional techniques OR ≥ 1.0 cm by
spiral CT scan

- No known CNS metastases

PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:

Age

- 18 and over

Performance status

- ECOG 0-2

Life expectancy

- At least 12 weeks

Hematopoietic

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

- Platelet count ≥ 100,000/mm^3

Hepatic

- Bilirubin normal

- AST ≤ 3 times upper limit of normal (ULN)

- Alkaline phosphatase ≤ 2 times ULN

Renal

- Creatinine ≤ 1.5 times ULN

Other

- Not pregnant or nursing

- Negative pregnancy test

- Fertile patients must use effective contraception during and for up to 6 months after
completion of study treatment

- No peripheral neuropathy ≥ grade 2

- No uncontrolled infection

- No chronic debilitating disease

- No prior allergic reaction to carboplatin or paclitaxel

- No other malignancy within the past 5 years except adequately treated basal cell or
squamous cell skin cancer

PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:

Biologic therapy

- No prior immunotherapy for recurrent or metastatic disease

- No prior biologic therapy for recurrent or metastatic disease

- No concurrent prophylactic colony-stimulating factors (filgrastim [G-CSF] or
sargramostim [GM-CSF])

Chemotherapy

- No prior chemotherapy for recurrent or metastatic disease

- Prior chemotherapy in the neoadjuvant or adjuvant setting (after complete resection
of the original tumor) allowed

- Prior combination chemotherapy and radiotherapy allowed provided patient achieved a
complete response AND the last dose of combination therapy was administered ≥ 6
months ago

Endocrine therapy

- Not specified

Radiotherapy

- See Chemotherapy

- No prior radiotherapy for recurrent or metastatic disease

- Prior radiotherapy in the neoadjuvant or adjuvant setting (after complete resection
of the original tumor) allowed

- No prior radiotherapy to > 25% of bone marrow for locally advanced disease

- More than 4 weeks since prior radiotherapy

Surgery

- More than 4 weeks since prior open abdominal exploration (e.g., laparotomy)

- More than 2 weeks since prior minimally invasive procedures (e.g., laparoscopy)