Inclusion Criteria

DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:

- Diagnosis of pancreatic cancer

- Locally advanced or metastatic disease

PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:

Age

- Over 18

Performance status

- ECOG 0-2

Life expectancy

- Not specified

Hematopoietic

- WBC > 3,000/mm^3

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

- Platelet count > 100,000/mm^3

- Hemoglobin ≥ 8.0 g/dL (transfusion allowed)

Hepatic

- Bilirubin < 1.5 times upper limit of normal (ULN)

- Alkaline phosphatase (AP) < 5.0 times ULN

- ALT and AST < 2.5 times ULN (if AP < 2.5 times ULN) OR

- ALT and AST < 1.5 times ULN (if AP > 2.5 times ULN and < 5.0 times ULN)

Renal

- Creatinine < 1.3 mg/dL

- Calcium < 10.5 mg/dL

- Phosphate < 4.7 mg/dL

- No kidney stones within the past 5 years

- No history of hypercalcemia

Cardiovascular

- No myocardial infarction within the past 3 months

- No uncontrolled heart failure with a known ejection fraction < 30%

- No other significant heart disease

Other

- Not pregnant or nursing

- Fertile patients must use effective contraception

- No hypersensitivity to docetaxel or other drugs formulated with polysorbate 80

- No peripheral neuropathy ≥ grade 2

- No comorbid condition that would preclude study participation

PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:

Biologic therapy

- Not specified

Chemotherapy

- No prior chemotherapy for metastatic disease

- No prior chemoradiotherapy for locally advanced disease

- No prior adjuvant docetaxel

- Other prior adjuvant chemotherapy allowed

Endocrine therapy

- Not specified

Radiotherapy

- See Chemotherapy

- More than 2 weeks since prior radiotherapy

Surgery

- More than 30 days since prior investigational surgery

Other

- More than 7 days since prior and no concurrent digoxin or thiazide diuretic therapy

- More than 30 days since prior investigational therapy

- No concurrent magnesium-containing antacids, bile resin-binding drugs, or calcium
supplements