DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:

          -  Histologically confirmed adenocarcinoma of the colon or rectum, including:

               -  Advanced disease

               -  Histologic variants of adenocarcinoma allowed

               -  K-ras wild type based on either primary or metastatic tumor

                    -  No mutated type

          -  Measurable disease

          -  Must have received prior first-line therapy comprising oxaliplatin-based
             fluoropyrimidine-containing chemotherapy and bevacizumab for metastatic colorectal
             cancer

          -  No more than 42 days since confirmed disease progression

          -  No brain or CNS metastases

        PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:

          -  Performance status 0-1

          -  ANC ≥ 1,500/μL

          -  Platelet count ≥ 75,000/μL

          -  Hemoglobin ≥ 9 g/dL

          -  Serum creatinine ≤ 1.5 times upper limit of normal (ULN) OR creatinine clearance ≥ 40
             mL/min

          -  Urine protein ≤ 1+ on dipstick or routine urinalysis (if ≥ 2+, a 24-hour urine
             collection must demonstrate < 1,000 mg of protein)

          -  Total bilirubin ≤ 2.0 mg/dL

          -  AST and ALT ≤ 3.0 times ULN (5.0 times ULN for patients with liver metastases)

          -  INR ≤ 1.6 (≤ 3.0 for patients on warfarin and no active bleeding [i.e., no bleeding
             within the past 14 days])

          -  Not pregnant or nursing

          -  Negative pregnancy test

          -  Fertile patients must use effective contraception during and for 3 months after
             completion of study therapy

          -  No clinically significant (equivalent to NCI CTCAE grade 3-4) bleeding episodes within
             the past 3 months

          -  None of the following:

               -  Active infection

               -  Symptomatic congestive heart failure

               -  Unstable angina pectoris

               -  Symptomatic or poorly controlled cardiac arrhythmia

               -  Uncontrolled thrombotic or hemorrhagic disorder

          -  No uncontrolled or poorly controlled hypertension despite standard medical management
             (e.g., consistently systolic BP > 160 mm Hg and diastolic BP > 90 mm Hg)

          -  No acute arterial thrombotic events within the past 6 months, including
             cerebrovascular accident, transient ischemic attack, myocardial infarction, or
             unstable angina

          -  No other cancer requiring therapy within the past 3 years except in situ carcinoma or
             nonmelanoma skin cancer

          -  No acute or subacute intestinal obstruction

          -  No history of inflammatory bowel disease requiring pharmacological and/or surgical
             intervention within the past 12 months

          -  No known allergy to any of the treatment components

        PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:

          -  See Disease Characteristics

          -  At least 28 days and no more than 90 days since prior bevacizumab

          -  No prior therapy with drugs other than oxaliplatin and a fluoropyrimidine plus
             bevacizumab for colorectal cancer

          -  No major surgery within the past 28 days

          -  No subcutaneous venous access device placement within the past 7 days

          -  Concurrent stable dose of oral anticoagulant or low-molecular weight heparin allowed