Bortezomib, Paclitaxel, and Carboplatin in Treating Patients With Unresectable, Metastatic Cancer of the Esophagus or Gastroesophageal Junction

DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:

* Histologically or cytologically confirmed adenocarcinoma of 1 of the following sites:

  * Esophagus
  * Gastroesophageal junction
  * Gastric cardia

    * No greater than 2 cm from the gastroesophageal junction into the stomach
* Unresectable, metastatic disease
* Not a candidate for potentially curative therapy AND no other more reasonable potentially curative conventional therapy exists
* At least 1 measurable lesion ≥ 2.0 cm by conventional techniques OR ≥ 1.0 cm by spiral CT scan
* No known CNS metastases

PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:

Age

* 18 and over

Performance status

* ECOG 0-2

Life expectancy

* At least 12 weeks

Hematopoietic

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

Hepatic

* Bilirubin normal
* AST ≤ 3 times upper limit of normal (ULN)
* Alkaline phosphatase ≤ 2 times ULN

Renal

* Creatinine ≤ 1.5 times ULN

Other

* Not pregnant or nursing
* Negative pregnancy test
* Fertile patients must use effective contraception during and for up to 6 months after completion of study treatment
* No peripheral neuropathy ≥ grade 2
* No uncontrolled infection
* No chronic debilitating disease
* No prior allergic reaction to carboplatin or paclitaxel
* No other malignancy within the past 5 years except adequately treated basal cell or squamous cell skin cancer

PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:

Biologic therapy

* No prior immunotherapy for recurrent or metastatic disease
* No prior biologic therapy for recurrent or metastatic disease
* No concurrent prophylactic colony-stimulating factors (filgrastim \[G-CSF\] or sargramostim \[GM-CSF\])

Chemotherapy

* No prior chemotherapy for recurrent or metastatic disease
* Prior chemotherapy in the neoadjuvant or adjuvant setting (after complete resection of the original tumor) allowed
* Prior combination chemotherapy and radiotherapy allowed provided patient achieved a complete response AND the last dose of combination therapy was administered ≥ 6 months ago

Endocrine therapy

* Not specified

Radiotherapy

* See Chemotherapy
* No prior radiotherapy for recurrent or metastatic disease
* Prior radiotherapy in the neoadjuvant or adjuvant setting (after complete resection of the original tumor) allowed
* No prior radiotherapy to \> 25% of bone marrow for locally advanced disease
* More than 4 weeks since prior radiotherapy

Surgery

* More than 4 weeks since prior open abdominal exploration (e.g., laparotomy)
* More than 2 weeks since prior minimally invasive procedures (e.g., laparoscopy)