Dasatinib and Gemcitabine Hydrochloride or Gemcitabine Hydrochloride Alone in Treating Patients With Pancreatic Cancer Previously Treated With Surgery

RATIONALE: Dasatinib may stop the growth of tumor cells by blocking some of the enzymes needed for cell growth. Drugs used in chemotherapy, such as gemcitabine hydrochloride, work in different ways to stop the growth of tumor cells, either by killing the cells or by stopping them from dividing. It is not yet known whether giving dasatinib together with gemcitabine hydrochloride is more effective than gemcitabine hydrochloride alone in treating pancreatic cancer. PURPOSE: This randomized phase II trial is studying how well giving dasatinib together with gemcitabine hydrochloride works compared to giving gemcitabine hydrochloride alone in treating patients with pancreatic cancer previously treated with surgery.