DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:

• Histologically or cytologically confirmed adenocarcinoma of the esophagus, gastroesophageal junction, or gastric cardia for which no potentially curative or significant palliative therapy exists

  • Unresectable disease
  • Gastric cardia is defined as no more than 5 cm from the gastroesophageal junction into the stomach
• Measurable disease
• No known CNS metastases

PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:

Age:

• 18 and over

Performance status:

• ECOG 0-2

Life expectancy:

• At least 12 weeks

Hematopoietic:

• Absolute neutrophil count at least 1,500/mm^3
• Platelet count at least 100,000/mm^3

Hepatic:

• Bilirubin no greater than upper limit of normal (ULN)
• AST no greater than 3 times ULN
• Alkaline phosphatase no greater than 2 times ULN

Renal:

• Creatinine no greater than 1.5 times ULN
• Creatinine clearance at least 60 mL/min

Cardiovascular:

• No New York Heart Association class III or IV heart disease

Other:

• Able to swallow capecitabine
• No unresolved gastrointestinal bleeding
• No uncontrolled infection
• No chronic debilitating disease
• No peripheral neuropathy grade 2 or greater
• No other malignancy within the past 5 years except adequately treated basal cell or squamous cell skin cancer or adequately treated noninvasive carcinoma
• Not pregnant or nursing
• Negative pregnancy test
• Fertile patients must use effective contraception

PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:

Biologic therapy:

• No prior immunotherapy or biological therapy for recurrent or metastatic disease
• No concurrent biologic agents

Chemotherapy:

• No prior chemotherapy for recurrent or metastatic disease
• Prior adjuvant or neoadjuvant chemotherapy (including combination chemotherapy and radiotherapy) allowed
• No other concurrent chemotherapy

Endocrine therapy:

• Not specified

Radiotherapy:

• See Chemotherapy
• No prior radiotherapy for recurrent or metastatic disease
• No prior radiotherapy to more than 25% of the bone marrow
• Prior adjuvant or neoadjuvant radiotherapy allowed
• More than 4 weeks since prior radiotherapy
• No concurrent radiotherapy

Surgery:

• More than 4 weeks since prior abdominal exploration with surgical resection
• More than 3 weeks since prior abdominal exploration without surgical resection

Other:

• No concurrent oral cryotherapy during oxaliplatin administration