Docetaxel and Capecitabine in Treating Patients With Metastatic Cancer of the Stomach or Gastroesophageal Junction

DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:

* Histologically or cytologically confirmed adenocarcinoma of the stomach or gastroesophageal junction
* Deemed unresectable and not a candidate for potentially curative treatment (e.g., surgical resection or combined modality therapy)

  * At least 4 weeks since prior abdominal exploration with resection (3 weeks without resection)
  * No other more conventional forms of therapy available with a reasonable chance of cure or significant palliation
* Measurable disease\*

  * The following are not considered measurable disease:

    * Bone lesions
    * Leptomeningeal disease
    * Ascites
    * Pleural/pericardial effusion
    * Lymphangitis cutis/pulmonis
    * Abdominal masses that are not confirmed and followed by imaging
    * Cystic lesions NOTE: \*Patients having only lesions measuring ≥ 1 cm to \< 2 cm must use spiral CT scan for all tumor assessments.
* No untreated or treated but symptomatic CNS metastases

PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:

Age

* 18 and over

Performance status

* ECOG 0-2

Life expectancy

* At least 12 weeks

Hematopoietic

* Absolute neutrophil count at least 1,500/mm\^3
* Platelet count at least 100,000/mm\^3

Hepatic

* Bilirubin no greater than upper limit of normal (ULN)
* AST no greater than 2.5 times ULN if alkaline phosphatase is less than ULN OR
* Alkaline phosphatase no greater than 4 times ULN if AST less than ULN

Renal

* Creatinine normal
* Creatinine clearance at least 60 mL/min

Cardiovascular

* No New York Heart Association class III or IV heart disease

Other

* Not pregnant or nursing
* Negative pregnancy test
* Fertile patients must use effective contraception
* Ability to swallow capecitabine
* No prior anaphylactic reaction to any taxane
* No prior severe reaction to fluoropyrimidine
* No prior poor tolerance to capecitabine
* No known sensitivity or poor tolerance to fluorouracil
* No known dihydropyrimidine dehydrogenase deficiency
* No uncontrolled infection
* No uncontrolled seizure disorder
* No chronic debilitating disease
* No peripheral neuropathy of any etiology greater than grade 1
* No diabetes mellitus
* No other malignancy within the past 5 years except adequately treated basal cell or squamous cell carcinoma or adequately treated noninvasive carcinoma

PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:

Biologic therapy

* No prior immunotherapy or biologic therapy for recurrent or metastatic disease
* No concurrent biologic therapy

Chemotherapy

* No prior chemotherapy for recurrent or metastatic disease except for the following:

  * Adjuvant chemotherapy after complete resection of the original tumor
  * Neoadjuvant chemotherapy followed by surgical resection of the original tumor
* No other concurrent chemotherapy

Endocrine therapy

* Not specified

Radiotherapy

* No prior radiotherapy except for the following:

  * Adjuvant radiotherapy after complete resection of the original tumor
  * Neoadjuvant radiotherapy followed by surgical resection of the original tumor
* No prior radiotherapy to 25% or more of the bone marrow
* More than 4 weeks since prior radiotherapy
* No concurrent radiotherapy

Surgery

* See Disease Characteristics
* No prior organ allograft

Other

* No concurrent brivudine or sorivudine