Cetuximab, Cisplatin, and Irinotecan in Treating Patients With Metastatic Esophageal Cancer, Gastroesophageal Junction Cancer, or Gastric Cancer That Did Not Respond to Previous Irinotecan and Cisplatin

DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:

• Histologically or cytologically confirmed diagnosis of 1 of the following:
• Adenocarcinoma or squamous cell carcinoma of the esophagus
• Adenocarcinoma of the gastroesophageal junction
• Adenocarcinoma of the stomach
• Metastatic disease
• Measurable disease by diagnostic CT scan or MRI
• Failed prior treatment with cisplatin and irinotecan hydrochloride, defined by the following:
• Radiographic progression within 12 weeks* from the last dose of prior cisplatin and irinotecan hydrochloride, administered either as adjuvant or neoadjuvant therapy, OR as therapy for metastatic disease NOTE: *Prior irinotecan hydrochloride and cisplatin must have been administered within the past 12 weeks; other chemotherapy regimens may have been administered between the time of disease progression or prior irinotecan hydrochloride/cisplatin and study entry
• Pathologic tissue available for immunohistochemistry (IHC) staining for the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR)
• Positive or negative EGFR by IHC allowed

PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:

• ECOG performance status (PS) 0-1 OR Karnofsky PS 70-100%
• Life expectancy > 3 months
• WBC ≥ 3,000/mm³
• Absolute neutrophil count ≥ 1,500/mm³
• Platelet count ≥ 100,000/mm³
• Hemoglobin ≥ 9 g/dL
• Bilirubin normal
• AST and ALT < 2.5 times upper limit of normal (ULN) (5 times ULN if liver metastases are present)
• Creatinine ≤ 2.0 mg/dL
• Not pregnant or nursing
• Negative pregnancy test
• Fertile patients must use effective contraception
• No prior severe infusion reaction to a monoclonal antibody
• No history of allergic reactions to compounds of similar chemical or biologic composition to irinotecan hydrochloride, cisplatin, or other study agents
• No prior intolerance to irinotecan hydrochloride or cisplatin despite prior dose attenuations
• No uncontrolled illness including, but not limited to, any of the following:
• Ongoing or active infection requiring parenteral antibiotics
• Symptomatic congestive heart failure
• Unstable angina pectoris
• Uncontrolled hypertension
• Clinically significant cardiac arrhythmia
• Myocardial infarction within the past 6 months
• HIV infection
• Psychiatric illness or social situations that would preclude study compliance
• No history of Gilbert's disease
• No medical condition or reason that would preclude study treatment

PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:

• See Disease Characteristics
• More than 3 weeks since prior chemotherapy or radiotherapy and recovered
• No more than 2 prior treatment regimens for metastatic disease
• No prior therapy specifically and directly targeting the epidermal growth factor receptor pathway
• No prior anticancer murine or chimeric monoclonal antibody therapy
• Prior humanized monoclonal antibody therapy allowed
• No concurrent antiseizure medications known to affect the metabolism of irinotecan hydrochloride, including phenytoin or phenobarbital
• No other concurrent investigational agents
• No other concurrent anticancer agents or therapies