Gemcitabine With or Without Sorafenib in Treating Patients With Locally Advanced or Metastatic Pancreatic Cancer

DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:

Inclusion criteria:

* Diagnosis of adenocarcinoma of the pancreas

  * Locally advanced or metastatic disease
* Measurable disease, defined as at least 1 lesion measurable by RECIST criteria

Exclusion criteria:

* Brain metastases

PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:

Inclusion criteria:

* WHO performance status 0-2
* Absolute neutrophil count \> 1,500/mm\^3
* Platelet count \> 100,000/mm\^3
* Creatinine \< 1.5 times normal
* Transaminases \< 2 times normal (5 times normal if liver metastases)
* Total bilirubin \< 1.5 times normal
* Fertile patients must use effective contraception

Exclusion criteria:

* Pregnant or nursing
* Intestinal occlusion
* Prior inflammatory intestinal disease
* Crohn's disease
* Hemorrhagic rectal colitis
* Peripheral neuropathy \> grade 2
* Other severe illness, including any of the following:

  * Unstable cardiac disease, even if treated
  * Psychological or neurological disease including dementia
  * Uncontrolled active infection
  * Other severe illness that would compromise study participation
* Impossible to receive study therapy due to geographical, social, or psychological reasons
* Other malignancy within the past 5 years except basal cell skin cancer or carcinoma in situ of the cervix

PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:

Inclusion criteria:

* See Disease Characteristics
* At least 6 months since prior chemotherapy or radiochemotherapy
* At least 4 weeks since prior radiotherapy and/or surgery

Exclusion criteria:

* Prior therapy for advanced disease
* Prior inhibitors of kinase signaling (e.g., ras/raf, MEK, AKT, mTOR, or farnesyl transferase)
* Prior inhibitors of angiogenesis (e.g., bevacizumab)
* Prior organ graft or allogeneic transplantation
* Prior extensive intestinal resection
* Concurrent participation in another therapeutic study
* Concurrent inductors of CYP3A4 (e.g., barbiturates, anti-epileptics, or rifampicin)