Conatumumab, Gemcitabine Hydrochloride, Capecitabine, and Radiation Therapy in Treating Patients With Locally Advanced Pancreatic Cancer

Inclusion criteria

DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS: * Histologically or cytologically confirmed adenocarcinoma of the pancreas * Locally advanced disease * With and without regional adenopathy * Unresectable disease based on institutional standardized criteria of unresectability OR medically inoperable * No distant metastatic disease, second malignancy, or peritoneal seeding PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS: * Zubrod performance status 0-1 * Absolute granulocyte count ≥ 1,500/mm³ * Platelet count ≥ 100,000/mm³ * Hemoglobin ≥ 8.0 g/dL (transfusion or other intervention allowed) * Serum creatinine ≤ 1.5 mg/dL * ALT or AST \< 3 times upper limit of normal (ULN) * Total bilirubin \< 3.0 mg/dL * Alkaline phosphatase \< 3 times ULN * Amylase ≤ 2 times ULN * Lipase ≤ 2 times ULN * Not pregnant or nursing * Negative pregnancy test * Fertile patients must use effective contraception during and for ≥ 3 months after the last study drug administration (for women) or for ≥ 6 months after the last study drug administration (for men) * Able to swallow oral medications * No other invasive malignancy within the past 2 years, except for nonmelanomatous skin cancer or carcinoma in situ of the breast, oral cavity, or cervix * No severe, active co-morbidity, including any of the following: * Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease exacerbation or other respiratory illness requiring hospitalization or precluding study therapy within the past 30 days * Transmural myocardial infarction within the past 3 months * Unstable angina and/or congestive heart failure requiring hospitalization within the past 6 months * Any other cardiac condition that, in the opinion of the treating physician, would make study treatment unreasonably hazardous for the patient * Acute bacterial or fungal infection requiring IV antibiotics * Uncontrolled malabsorption syndrome significantly affecting gastrointestinal function * Any unresolved bowel or bile duct obstruction * Major resection of the stomach or small bowel that could affect the absorption of capecitabine * AIDS based upon current CDC definition * HIV testing is not required for study entry * No prior allergic reaction to capecitabine or gemcitabine hydrochloride PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY: * No prior radiotherapy to the region of the study cancer that would result in overlap of radiotherapy fields * No prior treatment with TRAIL-receptor agonists * No prior systemic chemotherapy for pancreatic cancer * More than 2 years since prior chemotherapy for malignancies other than pancreatic cancer * More than 28 days since prior major surgery (e.g., biliary or gastric bypass) * Insertion of a vascular access device, exploratory laparotomy, or laparoscopy are not considered major surgery * No concurrent intensity-modulated radiotherapy * No other concurrent chemotherapy * No other concurrent monoclonal antibody therapy * No concurrent sorivudine, brivudine A, or cimetidine * No concurrent participation in another clinical trial * Concurrent oral anticoagulants (e.g., warfarin) allowed provided INR is monitored