Inclusion Criteria

DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:

- Histologically confirmed colorectal cancer

- Unresectable metastatic disease

- Measurable disease, defined as ≥ 1 measurable lesion according to RECIST criteria

- No prior chemotherapy for metastatic disease

- No untreated brain metastases, spinal cord compression, or primary brain tumors

- No history or evidence of CNS disease by physical examination unless adequately
treated (e.g., uncontrolled seizure despite standard medical therapy or history of
stroke)

PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:

Inclusion criteria:

- ECOG performance status (PS) 0-2 (≤ 70 years of age) OR ECOG PS 0 (71-75 years of
age)

- Life expectancy ≥ 12 weeks

- Neutrophils ≥ 1.5 x 10^9/L

- Platelet count ≥ 100 x 10^9/L

- Hemoglobin > 9 g/dL

- Total bilirubin ≤ 1.5 times upper limit of normal (ULN)

- AST and ALT ≤ 2.5 times ULN (≤ 5 times ULN if f liver metastases present)

- Alkaline phosphatase ≤ 2.5 times ULN (≤ 5 times ULN if liver metastases present)

- Creatinine clearance > 50 mL/min OR serum creatinine ≤ 1.5 times ULN

- Proteinuria < 2+ by dipstick OR urine protein ≤ 1 g by 24-hr urine collection

- Not pregnant or nursing

- Negative pregnancy test

- Fertile patients must use effective contraception

Exclusion criteria:

- Serious, nonhealing wound, ulcer, or bone fracture

- Evidence of bleeding diathesis or coagulopathy

- Uncontrolled hypertension

- Clinically significant (i.e., active) cardiovascular disease, including any of the
following:

- Cerebrovascular accidents within the past 6 months

- Myocardial infarction within the past 6 months

- Unstable angina

- New York Heart Association class II-IV congestive heart failure

- Serious cardiac arrhythmia requiring medication

- Known allergy to Chinese hamster ovary cell proteins or any of the components of the
study medications

- Other co-existing malignancy or malignancy diagnosed within the past 5 years, except
for basal cell or squamous cell carcinoma, or carcinoma in situ of the cervix

- Symptomatic peripheral neuropathy ≥ grade 1 according to the NCI Common Toxicity
Criteria

- Lack of physical integrity of the upper gastrointestinal tract

- Malabsorption syndrome

- Inability to take oral medication

- Significant traumatic injury within the past 28 days

PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:

- See Disease Characteristics

- More than 4 weeks since prior radiotherapy

- More than 10 days since prior and no concurrent ongoing treatment with anticoagulants
for therapeutic purposes

- More than 28 days since prior and no concurrent major surgical procedure

- More than 28 days since prior open biopsy

- More than 30 days since prior investigational agents

- No concurrent chronic daily high-dose acetylsalicylic acid (> 325 mg/day)