Perifosine in Treating Patients With Locally Advanced, Unresectable, or Metastatic Pancreatic Cancer

DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS: * Histologically confirmed adenocarcinoma of the pancreas * Locally advanced, unresectable, or metastatic disease * Measurable disease * No known brain metastases PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS: Age * 18 and over Performance status * ECOG 0-1 Life expectancy * Not specified Hematopoietic * WBC at least 3,500/mm\^3 * Platelet count at least 100,000/mm\^3 * Hemoglobin at least 10 g/dL Hepatic * AST no greater than 2 times upper limit of normal (ULN) * Bilirubin no greater than 2 times ULN Renal * Creatinine no greater than 1.4 mg/dL Cardiovascular * No symptomatic congestive heart failure * No unstable angina pectoris * No cardiac arrhythmia Other * Not pregnant or nursing * Negative pregnancy test * Fertile patients must use effective contraception * No ongoing or active infection * No psychiatric illness or social situation that would preclude study compliance * No other concurrent illness that would preclude study participation PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY: Biologic therapy * Not specified Chemotherapy * No prior chemotherapy for pancreatic cancer * More than 6 months since prior chemotherapy for other diseases Endocrine therapy * Not specified Radiotherapy * At least 4 weeks since prior radiotherapy and recovered Surgery * At least 4 weeks since prior surgery and recovered Other * No other concurrent investigational agents for pancreatic cancer * No concurrent combination antiretroviral therapy for HIV-positive patients