S1201: Combination Chemo for Patients W/Advanced or Metastatic Esophageal, Gastric, or Gastroesophageal Junction Cancer

DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS: * Patients must have unresectable advanced or metastatic histologically or cytologically confirmed adenocarcinoma of the esophagus, stomach, or gastroesophageal junction (GEJ) * Patients must not have received treatment for metastatic or unresectable disease * Patients must not have brain metastases * Patients must have measurable and/or non-measurable disease * Patients who have had HER-2 expression testing prior to patient consent to this study must be HER-2 negative; if HER-2 expression has not been tested prior to patient consent to this study, a second specimen must be submitted for HER-2 expression; if the specimen is HER-2 positive (or if HER-2 could not be evaluated), the patient will not be randomized * Patients must have completed any prior neoadjuvant and adjuvant therapy for resectable disease at least 180 days prior to registration PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS: * Zubrod performance status of 0-1 * Hemoglobin ≥ 9 g/dL * Absolute neutrophil count (ANC) ≥ 1,500/mcL * Platelets ≥ 100,000/mcL * Total bilirubin ≤ 1.5 mg/dL regardless of whether patients have liver involvement secondary to tumor * AST and ALT both ≤ 3 times institutional upper limit of normal (IULN) unless the liver is involved with tumor, in which case both AST and ALT must be ≤ 5 times IULN * Serum creatinine \< 1.5 mg/dL within 28 days prior to registration AND/OR calculated creatinine clearance \> 60 mL/min * Patients must not have motor or sensory neuropathy \> Grade 1 u…