PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS: Age: 18 and over Performance status: Karnofsky 70-100% Life expectancy: At least 3 months Hematopoietic: WBC at least 3,500/mm3 Platelet count at least 100,000/mm3 Hematocrit at least 33% Hemoglobin at least 10.5 g/dL Hepatic: Bilirubin no greater than 3.0 mg/dL SGOT or SGPT no greater than 3 times upper limit of normal Renal: Creatinine no greater than 1.5 mg/dL Cardiovascular: No history of myocardial infarction within past 3 months No congestive heart failure Other: HIV negative No other prior malignancy except basal cell skin cancer No persistent fever greater than 102 degrees F (39 degrees C) unless caused by the pancreatic cancer Not pregnant or nursing Fertile patients must use effective contraception