Dasatinib in Treating Patients With Stage IV Pancreatic Cancer

DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS: * Histologically\* confirmed pancreatic cancer * Stage IV disease NOTE: \*If biopsy was performed at an outside facility, the histology must be reviewed and confirmed by the Division of Pathology at the City of Hope PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS: * Karnofsky performance status 60-100% * Life expectancy ≥ 3 months * Platelet count ≥ 100,000/μL * Absolute neutrophil count ≥ 1,500/μL * Bilirubin ≤ 1.5 mg/dL * ALT and AST ≤ 2.5 times upper limit of normal (ULN) * Creatinine ≤ 1.5 mg/dL and/or creatinine clearance \> 60 mL/min * PT and PTT ≤ 1.5 times ULN * Able to swallow dasatinib whole * No other malignancy within the past 5 years except nonmelanoma skin cancer or carcinoma in situ of the cervix, uterus, or bladder * No concurrent medical condition which may increase the risk of toxicity, including any of the following: * Pleural or pericardial effusion of any grade * Clinically significant coagulation or platelet function disorder (e.g., known von Willebrand's disease) * None of the following cardiac conditions: * Uncontrolled angina, congestive heart failure, or myocardial infarction within the past 6 months * Prolonged QTc interval (i.e., QTc \> 450 msec) on electrocardiogram * History of clinically significant ventricular arrhythmias (i.e., ventricular tachycardia, ventricular fibrillation, or Torsades de pointes) * No hypokalemia or hypomagnesemia that cannot be corrected * No severe infection requiring treatment * Completely recovered from other concurrent illnesses, as deemed by the investigator * Not pregnant * Negative pregnancy test * Fertile patients must use effective contraception PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY: * Recovered from prior major surgery * No prior irradiation to the planned field * No prior chemotherapy for pancreatic cancer * At least 7 days since prior and no concurrent medications that may prolong the QT interval, including any of the following: * Quinidine * Procainamide * Disopyramide * Amiodarone * Sotalol * Ibutilide * Dofetilide * Erythromycin * Clarithromycin * Chlorpromazine * Haloperidol * Mesoridazine * Thioridazine * Pimozide * Cisapride * Bepridil * Droperidol * Methadone * Arsenic * Chloroquine * Domperidone * Halofantrine * Levomethadyl * Pentamidine * Sparfloxacin * Lidoflazine * At least 7 days since prior and no concurrent potent CYP3A4 inhibitors * At least 7 days since prior and no concurrent medications that directly and durably inhibit platelet function, including any of the following: * Aspirin or aspirin-containing combinations * Clopidogrel * Dipyridamole * Tirofiban * Dipyridamole * Epoprostenol * Eptifibatide * Cilostazol * Abciximab * Ticlopidine * Cilostazol * No concurrent anticoagulants, including warfarin or heparin/low molecular weight heparin (e.g., danaparoid, dalteparin, tinzaparin, or enoxaparin) * Low-dose warfarin for prophylaxis to prevent catheter thrombosis or heparin for flushes of IV lines allowed * No concurrent IV bisphosphonates during the first 8 weeks of dasatinib therapy * No concurrent Hypericum perforatum (St. Johns wort)