Inclusion Criteria

DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:

- Histologically confirmed advanced adenocarcinoma or squamous cell carcinoma of the
esophagus or gastroesophageal junction

- Patients with locally advanced, unresectable disease are eligible provided they
failed prior radiation-based therapy

- At least one measurable lesion

- No active CNS metastases as indicated by clinical symptoms, cerebral edema, or
progressive growth

- Patients with a clinical history of CNS metastases or cord compression are
eligible provided they have been definitively treated and are clinically stable
for ≥ 4 weeks (if treated with whole brain irradiation) or for ≥ 2 weeks (if
treated with gamma knife therapy)

PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:

- ECOG performance status 0-1

- Life expectancy > 12 weeks

- Hemoglobin > 9.5 g/dL

- ANC > 1,500/μL

- Platelets > 100,000/μL

- Total bilirubin normal

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

- Creatinine clearance ≥ 30 mL/min

- AST, ALT, and alkaline phosphatase (AP) must meet one of the following criteria:

- AST or ALT ≤ 5 times ULN AND AP normal

- AST or ALT ≤ 1.5 times ULN AND AP ≤ 2.5 times ULN

- AST or ALT normal AND AP ≤ 5 times ULN

- Potassium between 4 mmol/L and the upper limit of CTCAE grade 1 (supplementation
allowed)

- Calcium (ionized or adjusted for albumin) and magnesium normal (supplementation
allowed)

- Not pregnant or nursing

- Negative pregnancy test

- Fertile patients must use effective contraception during and for ≥ 3 months after
completion of study treatment

- No significant cardiovascular events within the past 3 months, including the
following:

- Myocardial infarction

- Superior vena cava syndrome

- NYHA class II-IV congestive heart failure

- No cardiac disease that, in the opinion of the investigator, may increase the risk of
ventricular arrhythmia

- No prior arrhythmia (e.g., multifocal premature ventricular contractions, bigeminy,
trigeminy, ventricular tachycardia, or uncontrolled atrial fibrillation) that is
symptomatic or requires treatment (CTCAE grade 3)

- Atrial fibrillation allowed provided it is controlled with medication

- No asymptomatic sustained ventricular tachycardia

- No hypertension not controlled by medical therapy (i.e., systolic blood pressure [BP]
> 160 mm Hg or diastolic BP > 100 mm Hg)

- No QTc prolongation with other medication that required discontinuation of that
medication

- No congenital long QT syndrome or 1st degree relative with unexplained sudden death
under 40 years of age

- QTc is < 480 with Bazett's correction on screening ECG at baseline

- No presence of left bundle branch block

- No active diarrhea > CTC grade 1

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

- No prior allergic reactions to compounds of similar chemical or biologic composition
to study drugs

- No other severe acute or chronic medical or psychiatric condition or laboratory
abnormality that, in the opinion of the investigator, would preclude study
participation

- No other malignancy within the past 5 years, except for curatively treated basal cell
carcinoma of the skin, cervical intra-epithelial neoplasia, or localized prostate
cancer with a current PSA of < 1.0 mg/dL on 2 successive evaluations ≥ 3 months
apart, with the most recent evaluation performed within the past 4 weeks

- No peripheral neuropathy > grade 1

- No blood donation during and for 3 months after completion of study treatment

- No severe or uncontrolled systemic disease or other medical condition, including
mental illness or substance abuse, that would preclude study participation

PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:

- See Disease Characteristics

- Recovered from prior therapy

- No prior systemic therapy for metastatic disease

- Prior chemotherapy given as part of a definitive treatment plan (e.g.,
neoadjuvant or adjuvant chemotherapy or concurrent chemoradiotherapy) allowed

- More than 6 months since prior oxaliplatin and docetaxel as neoadjuvant or adjuvant
therapy

- More than 4 weeks since prior major surgery, chemotherapy, radiotherapy,
investigational agents, or other cancer therapy

- No prior anti-VEGF or EGFR therapy, including bevacizumab

- More than 2 weeks since prior and no concurrent potent CYP3A4 inducers
(e.g.,rifampin, rifabutin, phenytoin, carbamazepine, phenobarbital, and Hypericum
perforatum [St. John's wort])

- More than 2 weeks since prior and no concurrent medications known to cause QTc
prolongation or to induce torsades de pointes

- No other concurrent chemotherapy, systemic antineoplastic therapy, or investigational
therapy

- No concurrent radiotherapy, unless for local control of bone pain

- No concurrent cold cap or iced mouth rinses for prevention of alopecia or stomatitis

- No concurrent routine prophylactic use of granulocyte colony-stimulating factor
(G-CSF) or pegfilgrastim

- No concurrent vitamin B6 supplementation, except as part of a standard multivitamin