Combination Chemotherapy in Treating Patients With Advanced Stomach Cancer

DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:

* Histologically confirmed gastric carcinoma not amenable to curative surgery or in relapse after primary surgical resection

  * Locally advanced disease (i.e., measurable locoregional lymph nodes) OR
  * Metastatic disease
* Bidimensionally measurable disease

  * At least 10 mm X 20 mm by chest x-ray or physical examination
  * At least 10 mm X 10 mm by CT scan
* No CNS metastasis

PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:

Age:

* 18 to 70

Performance status:

* 0-1

Life expectancy:

* Greater than 12 weeks

Hematopoietic:

* WBC count at least 4,000/mm\^3
* Platelet count at least 100,000/mm\^3

Hepatic:

* Bilirubin no greater than 1.25 times upper limit of normal (ULN)
* AST/ALT no greater than 2.5 times ULN
* Alkaline phosphatase no greater than 5 times ULN

Renal:

* BUN normal
* Creatinine normal
* Creatinine clearance at least 60 mL/min
* No severe hypercalcemia

Cardiovascular:

* No unstable cardiac disease requiring treatment
* No congestive heart failure
* No angina pectoris even if medically controlled
* No significant arrhythmias
* No prior myocardial infarction unless ejection fraction at least 50% by MUGA scan or echocardiogram

Neurologic:

* No prior significant neurologic or psychiatric disorders, including psychotic disorders, dementia or seizures that would preclude study
* No peripheral neuropathy of any origin (alcohol, etc.) greater than grade 1

Other:

* Fertile patients must use adequate contraception
* No prior malignancy except basal cell skin cancer or adequately treated carcinoma in situ of the cervix
* No active uncontrolled infection
* No other serious illness or medical condition that would preclude study participation
* No contraindication to corticosteroid use

PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:

Biologic therapy:

* Not specified

Chemotherapy:

* No prior palliative chemotherapy
* At least 12 months since prior adjuvant or neoadjuvant chemotherapy
* No prior taxanes
* Prior fluorouracil allowed in bolus form only
* Prior cumulative dose of adjuvant or neoadjuvant cisplatin no greater than 300 mg/m2

Endocrine therapy:

* Prior or concurrent prednisone (or equivalent) allowed for prophylaxis, acute hypersensitivity reactions, or chronic therapy (greater than 6 months) at doses no greater than 20 mg

Radiotherapy:

* Not specified

Surgery:

* See Disease Characteristics

Other:

* No other concurrent experimental drugs
* No other concurrent anticancer therapies
* At least 30 days since treatment in prior clinical trial