Dasatinib in Treating Patients With Stage IV Pancreatic Cancer

DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:

• Histologically* confirmed pancreatic cancer
• Stage IV disease NOTE: *If biopsy was performed at an outside facility, the histology must be reviewed and confirmed by the Division of Pathology at the City of Hope

PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:

• Karnofsky performance status 60-100%
• Life expectancy ≥ 3 months
• Platelet count ≥ 100,000/μL
• Absolute neutrophil count ≥ 1,500/μL
• Bilirubin ≤ 1.5 mg/dL
• ALT and AST ≤ 2.5 times upper limit of normal (ULN)
• Creatinine ≤ 1.5 mg/dL and/or creatinine clearance > 60 mL/min
• PT and PTT ≤ 1.5 times ULN
• Able to swallow dasatinib whole
• No other malignancy within the past 5 years except nonmelanoma skin cancer or carcinoma in situ of the cervix, uterus, or bladder
• No concurrent medical condition which may increase the risk of toxicity, including any of the following:
• Pleural or pericardial effusion of any grade
• Clinically significant coagulation or platelet function disorder (e.g., known von Willebrand's disease)
• None of the following cardiac conditions:
• Uncontrolled angina, congestive heart failure, or myocardial infarction within the past 6 months
• Prolonged QTc interval (i.e., QTc > 450 msec) on electrocardiogram
• History of clinically significant ventricular arrhythmias (i.e., ventricular tachycardia, ventricular fibrillation, or Torsades de pointes)
• No hypokalemia or hypomagnesemia that cannot be corrected
• No severe infection requiring treatment
• Completely recovered from other concurrent illnesses, as deemed by the investigator
• Not pregnant
• Negative pregnancy test
• Fertile patients must use effective contraception

PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:

• Recovered from prior major surgery
• No prior irradiation to the planned field
• No prior chemotherapy for pancreatic cancer
• At least 7 days since prior and no concurrent medications that may prolong the QT interval, including any of the following:
• Quinidine
• Procainamide
• Disopyramide
• Amiodarone
• Sotalol
• Ibutilide
• Dofetilide
• Erythromycin
• Clarithromycin
• Chlorpromazine
• Haloperidol
• Mesoridazine
• Thioridazine
• Pimozide
• Cisapride
• Bepridil
• Droperidol
• Methadone
• Arsenic
• Chloroquine
• Domperidone
• Halofantrine
• Levomethadyl
• Pentamidine
• Sparfloxacin
• Lidoflazine
• At least 7 days since prior and no concurrent potent CYP3A4 inhibitors
• At least 7 days since prior and no concurrent medications that directly and durably inhibit platelet function, including any of the following:
• Aspirin or aspirin-containing combinations
• Clopidogrel
• Dipyridamole
• Tirofiban
• Dipyridamole
• Epoprostenol
• Eptifibatide
• Cilostazol
• Abciximab
• Ticlopidine
• Cilostazol
• No concurrent anticoagulants, including warfarin or heparin/low molecular weight heparin (e.g., danaparoid, dalteparin, tinzaparin, or enoxaparin)
• Low-dose warfarin for prophylaxis to prevent catheter thrombosis or heparin for flushes of IV lines allowed
• No concurrent IV bisphosphonates during the first 8 weeks of dasatinib therapy
• No concurrent Hypericum perforatum (St. Johns wort)