Oxaliplatin Plus Capecitabine in Treating Patients With Colorectal, Appendix, or Small Bowel Cancer

You may be eligible if

• DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:
• Histologically confirmed colorectal, appendiceal, or small bowel cancer
• Measurable disease
• No progression after prior capecitabine
• No brain metastases or leptomeningeal carcinomatosis
• PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:
• Age:
• 18 and over
• Performance status:
• ECOG 0-2
• Life expectancy:
• Not specified
• Hematopoietic:
• WBC at least 3,000/mm\^3
• Absolute neutrophil count at least 1,500/mm\^3
• Platelet count at least 100,000/mm\^3
• Hepatic:
• Bilirubin normal
• AST/ALT no greater than 2.5 times upper limit of normal
• Renal:
• Creatinine normal
• Creatinine clearance greater than 60 mL/min
• 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 sensory neuropathy
• No history of allergy to platinum compounds
• No history of allergy to antiemetics appropriate for administration during study
• No history of intolerance to fluorouracil
• No uncontrolled concurrent illness that would preclude study entry
• No ongoing or active infection requiring IV antibiotics
• HIV negative
• PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:
• Biologic therapy:
• At least 4 weeks since prior immunotherapy and recovered
• Chemotherapy:
• See Disease Characteristics
• Recovered from prior chemotherapy
• No more than 2 prior systemic chemotherapy regimens for metastatic disease
• At least 6 weeks since prior nitrosoureas or mitomycin
• At least 8 weeks since prior eniluracil
• At least 3 months since prior suramin
• At least 4 weeks since other prior chemotherapy
• Endocrine therapy:
• Not specified
• Radiotherapy:
• Recovered from prior radiotherapy
• At least 2 weeks since prior radiotherapy to no more than 20% of bone marrow reserve
• At least 4 weeks since prior radiotherapy to at least 21% of bone marrow reserve
• Surgery:
• Recovered from prior surgery
• Other:
• At least 4 weeks since prior sorivudine or brivudine and recovered
• No concurrent sorivudine or brivudine
• No other concurrent investigational agents
• No other concurrent anticancer therapy or commercial agents