Oxaliplatin, Gefitinib, and Radiation Therapy in Treating Patients With Locally Advanced or Metastatic Esophageal Cancer

DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:

* Histologically confirmed adenocarcinoma or squamous cell carcinoma of the esophagus or gastroesophageal (GE) junction

  * Locally advanced or metastatic disease by clinical staging, including esophagogastroduodenoscopy and esophageal ultrasound

    * Stage T2, N0 disease and beyond
  * Bulk of tumor must be in the esophagus of patients with GE junction tumor

    * Bronchoscopy is required if primary esophageal tumor is \< 26 cm from the incisors
* No brain metastases

PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:

Age

* Over 18

Performance status

* ECOG 0-1

Life expectancy

* At least 4 months

Hematopoietic

* WBC ≥ 3,000/mm\^3
* Granulocyte count ≥ 1,500/mm\^3
* Platelet count \> 100,000/mm\^3

Hepatic

* Bilirubin normal
* ALT and AST ≤ 2.5 times upper limit of normal (ULN)
* Alkaline phosphatase ≤ 2.5 times ULN

Renal

* Not specified

Cardiovascular

* No symptomatic congestive heart failure
* No unstable angina pectoris
* No cardiac arrhythmia

Pulmonary

* No clinically active interstitial lung disease

  * Patients with chronic stable asymptomatic radiographic changes are eligible

Other

* Not pregnant or nursing
* Negative pregnancy test
* Fertile patients must use effective double-method (including barrier) contraception during and for 3 months after study participation
* No peripheral neuropathy ≥ grade II
* No severe hypersensitivity to gefitinib or any of its excipients
* No history of allergy to platinum-based compounds or antiemetics administered with protocol-directed chemotherapy
* No active or ongoing infection
* No other uncontrolled illness
* No other significant clinical disorder or laboratory finding that would preclude study participation

PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:

Biologic therapy

* No concurrent colony-stimulating factors during course 1 of study therapy

Chemotherapy

* More than 4 weeks since prior chemotherapy

Endocrine therapy

* Concurrent steroid therapy allowed

Radiotherapy

* More than 4 weeks since prior radiotherapy

Surgery

* Not specified

Other

* More than 30 days since prior non-approved or investigational drugs
* No concurrent administration of any of the following:

  * Phenytoin
  * Carbamazepine
  * Rifampin
  * Barbiturates
  * Highly-active antiretroviral therapy (HAART)
  * Hypericum perforatum (St. John's wort)
* No other concurrent investigational agents or therapy