OBJECTIVES: I. Determine the objective response rate in patients with metastatic carcinoma of the exocrine pancreas treated with DX-8951f. II. Determine the time to tumor progression in patients receiving this drug. III. Determine the survival at 6 and 12 months of patients receiving this drug. IV. Evaluate the quantitative and qualitative toxicities of this regimen in this patient population. V. Evaluate the pharmacokinetics of this drug in this patient population.