Gemcitabine and Oxaliplatin in Treating Patients With Pancreatic Cancer That Can Be Removed By Surgery

DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS: * Histologically or cytologically confirmed pancreatic adenocarcinoma * No histology other than adenocarcinoma (e.g., neuroendocrine cancer or acinar cancer) * Patients with adenosquamous variants are eligible * Radiographically resectable pancreatic cancer, as determined by a surgical oncologist * No metastatic or locally unresectable pancreatic adenocarcinoma * No evidence of distant metastases by CT scan * Negative or pending laparoscopy for distant metastases PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS: * ECOG performance status 0-2 * Absolute neutrophil count ≥ 1,500/mm³ * Platelet count ≥ 100,000/mm³ * Bilirubin ≤ 4.0 mg/dL (if \> 3.0, stented and known to be declining) * Serum creatinine ≤ 1.6 mg/dL * INR \< 1.5 (therapeutic INR is allowed for patients receiving therapeutic anticoagulation) * Not pregnant or nursing * Negative pregnancy test * Fertile patients must use effective contraception during and for 3 months after completion of study therapy * No active infection, except for resolving cholangitis, that would preclude study enrollment * Neoadjuvant therapy may only be initiated when acute cholangitis has resolved * No other malignancy within the past 3 years except for curatively treated basal cell carcinoma of the skin, cervical intraepithelial neoplasia, or localized prostate cancer with a PSA of \< 5.0 ng/mL within ≥ 4 weeks of study entry (other circumstances with a recent concurrent or active malignancy will be adjudicated on a case…