Calcitriol and Docetaxel in Treating Patients With Metastatic or Locally Advanced Pancreatic Cancer

RATIONALE: Calcitriol may cause pancreatic cancer cells to look more like normal cells, and to grow and spread more slowly. Drugs used in chemotherapy, such as docetaxel, work in different ways to stop the growth of tumor cells, either by killing the cells or by stopping them from dividing. Calcitriol may also help docetaxel work better by making the tumor cells more sensitive to the drug. Giving calcitriol together with docetaxel may kill more tumor cells. PURPOSE: This phase II trial is studying how well giving calcitriol together with docetaxel works in treating patients with metastatic or locally advanced pancreatic cancer.