| Exclusion Criteria: | 1) Patient must not have ampullary cancer.
2) Patient must not have distant metastatic disease as indicated by a CT or MRI of the chest, abdomen, and pelvis within 42 days prior to registration. Positive resected regional lymph nodes are allowed.
3) Patient must not have received any prior chemotherapy or radiotherapy for this disease.
4) Patient must have had no previous upper abdominal radiation therapy for any reason at any time.
5) Patient must not require feeding tube. Patient must not have intractable nausea or vomiting, GI tract disease resulting in an inability to take oral medication, malabsorption syndrome, a requirement for IV alimentation, prior surgical procedures affecting absorption, or uncontrolled inflammatory GI disease (e.g., Crohn's, ulcerative colitis).
6) Patient must not have uncontrolled intercurrent illness including, but not limited to, ongoing or active infection, symptomatic congestive heart failure, unstable angina pectoris, cardiac arrhythmia, history of myocardial infarction or cerebrovascular accident within 3 months prior to registration, uncontrolled diarrhea, or psychiatric illness/social situations that would limit compliance with study requirements.
7) Patients must not be pregnant or nursing because of the risk of fetal or nursing infant harm. A woman is considered to be of "reproductive potential" if she has had menses at any time in the preceding 12 consecutive months. In addition to routine contraceptive methods, "effective contraception" also includes heterosexual celibacy and surgery intended to prevent pregnancy (or with a side-effect of pregnancy prevention) defined as a hysterectomy, bilateral oophorectomy or bilateral tubal ligation. However, if at any point a previously celibate patient chooses to become heterosexually active during the time period for use of contraceptive measures outlined in the protocol, he/she is responsible for beginning contraceptive measures.
8) No prior malignancy is allowed except for adequately treated basal cell (or squamous cell) skin cancer, in situ cervical cancer or other cancer from which the patient has been disease-free for five years. |