DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:

• Histologically or cytologically confirmed adenocarcinoma of the pancreas

  • Advanced disease

    • Patients with locally advanced disease must have disease that extends outside the boundaries of a standard radiation port
• Not amenable to curative surgery or radiotherapy

• Measurable disease

  • At least 1 unidimensionally measurable lesion ≥ 20 mm by conventional techniques OR ≥ 10 mm by spiral CT scan
  • Pleural effusions and ascites are not considered measurable lesions
• No CNS disease, including primary brain tumors or brain metastasis
• No tumor invasion into the duodenum

PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:

Age

• 18 and over

Performance status

• ECOG 0-2

Life expectancy

• More than 3 months

Hematopoietic

• Absolute neutrophil count ≥ 1,500/mm^3
• Platelet count ≥ 100,000/mm^3
• WBC ≥ 3,000/mm^3
• No history of bleeding diatheses

Hepatic

• Bilirubin ≤ 1.5 times upper limit of normal (ULN)
• SGOT and SGPT ≤ 2.5 times ULN (5 times ULN if liver metastases are present)
• INR ≤ 1.5 (≤ 3 for patients on warfarin)
• No esophageal varices

Renal

• Creatinine ≤ 1.5 mg/dL OR
• Creatinine clearance ≥ 60 mL/min
• Urine protein < 1+ OR
• 24-hour urine protein < 500 mg

Cardiovascular

• No history of a recent cerebrovascular accident
• No clinically significant cardiovascular disease
• No uncontrolled hypertension
• No New York Heart Association class II-IV congestive heart failure
• No serious cardiac arrhythmia requiring medication
• No peripheral vascular disease ≥ grade II

• None of the following arterial thromboembolic events within the past 6 months:

  • Transient ischemic attack
  • Cerebrovascular accident
  • Unstable angina
  • Myocardial infarction

Other

• Not pregnant or nursing
• Negative pregnancy test
• Fertile patients must use effective contraception during and for at least 3 months after study participation
• HIV negative
• No significant traumatic injury within the past 28 days
• No gastrointestinal tract disease resulting in an inability to take oral medication
• No allergic reactions to compounds similar to bevacizumab, cetuximab, or erlotinib (e.g., Chinese hamster ovary cell products or recombinant humanized antibodies)
• No serious or non-healing wound, ulcer, or bone fracture
• No active infection requiring antibiotics
• No other active malignancy within the past 5 years except nonmelanoma skin cancer or carcinoma in situ of the cervix

PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:

Biologic therapy

• No prior bevacizumab or cetuximab
• No other prior vascular endothelial growth factor inhibitors

Chemotherapy

• No prior gemcitabine
• No prior cytotoxic chemotherapy for metastatic disease
• At least 4 weeks since prior adjuvant chemotherapy (6 weeks for mitomycin or nitrosoureas)

Endocrine therapy

• Not specified

Radiotherapy

• At least 4 weeks since prior radiotherapy

  • Must have a site of measurable disease outside the radiation port

Surgery

• No prior surgical procedure affecting absorption
• More than 28 days since prior major surgical procedure or open biopsy
• More than 7 days since prior core biopsy
• No concurrent major surgical procedures

Other

• No prior erlotinib
• No other prior epidermal growth factor receptor inhibitors
• At least 30 days since prior investigational drugs
• More than 1 month since prior thrombolytic agents

• Concurrent warfarin or low molecular weight heparin allowed provided the following criteria are met:

  • Currently therapeutic on a stable dose
  • INR target range ≤ 3
  • Patients undergo weekly INR testing
  • No evidence of active bleeding or pathological condition that carries high risk of bleeding (e.g., tumor invading adjacent organs or esophageal varices)
• No concurrent chronic daily therapy with aspirin (> 325 mg/day) or nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory medications known to inhibit platelet function
• No other concurrent antiplatelet medications
• No concurrent combination antiretroviral therapy for HIV-positive patients
• No other concurrent anticancer therapies or agents
• No other concurrent investigational drugs