Arsenic Trioxide in Treating Patients With Advanced Cancer of the Esophagus or Gastroesophageal Junction

Inclusion Criteria: * Histologically confirmed adenocarcinoma of the esophagus or gastroesophageal junction * Metastatic or unresectable local-regional disease * Osseous metastasis as the only site of disease not eligible * Measurable disease * Mediastinal or hilar lymph nodes must be at least 2.0 cm in diameter by CT scan or MRI to be considered measurable * No known brain metastases * Performance status - Zubrod 0-2 * Performance status - Karnofsky 60-100% * At least 12 weeks * Absolute granulocyte count at least 1,500/mm\^3 * Platelet count at least 100,000/mm\^3 * Hemoglobin at least 8 g/dL * Bilirubin no greater than 1.5 mg/dL * SGOT and/or SGPT no greater than 2.0 times upper limit of normal (ULN) * Creatinine no greater than 1.5 times ULN * Creatinine clearance at least 60 mL/min * Calcium no greater than 12 mg/dL * No symptomatic hypercalcemia under treatment * No New York Heart Association class III or IV heart disease * No angina within the past 6 months * No myocardial infarction within the past 6 months * No congestive heart failure within the past 6 months * Not pregnant or nursing * Negative pregnancy test * Fertile patients must use effective contraception * No other concurrent active malignancy except nonmelanoma skin cancer or carcinoma in situ of the cervix * Prior malignancies with no evidence of disease for at least 2 years are allowed * No serious concurrent infection that is uncontrolled or whose control could be jeopardized by complications of study therapy * No concurrent nonmalignant medical illness that is uncontrolled or whose control could be jeopardized by complications of study therapy * No psychiatric disorder or other condition that would preclude study compliance * No prior immunotherapy (including adjuvant or preoperative regimens) * No concurrent biological response modifiers * No concurrent filgrastim (G-CSF) or sargramostim (GM-CSF) * No prior chemotherapy (including adjuvant or preoperative regimens and radiosensitizers) * At least 4 weeks since prior radiotherapy and recovered * No prior radiotherapy to major bone marrow containing areas (e.g., pelvis or lumbar spine) or area that contained the indicator lesion * No prior radiotherapy involving 30% or more of the bone marrow * No concurrent radiotherapy * At least 2 weeks since prior major surgery (4 days for minor surgery) and recovered * No other concurrent investigational drugs * No other concurrent antineoplastic therapy