Combination Chemotherapy as First-Line Therapy in Treating Patients With Metastatic Pancreatic Cancer

RATIONALE: Drugs used in chemotherapy work in different ways to stop the growth of tumor cells, either by killing the cells or by stopping them from dividing. Giving more than one drug (combination chemotherapy) may kill more tumor cells. It is not yet known which chemotherapy regimen is more effective as first-line therapy in treating pancreatic cancer. PURPOSE: This randomized phase II/III trial is studying how well combination chemotherapy works as first-line therapy in treating patients with metastatic pancreatic cancer.