This randomized phase II trial studies how well fluorouracil, irinotecan hydrochloride, and oxaliplatin (combination chemotherapy) works and compares to gemcitabine hydrochloride and paclitaxel albumin-stabilized nanoparticle formulation before surgery in treating patients with pancreatic cancer that can be removed by surgery. Drugs used in chemotherapy, such as fluorouracil, irinotecan hydrochloride, oxaliplatin, gemcitabine hydrochloride, and paclitaxel albumin-stabilized nanoparticle formulation, work in different ways to stop the growth of tumor cells, either by killing the cells, by stopping them from dividing, or by stopping them from spreading. Giving more than one drug (combination chemotherapy) may kill more tumor cells. It is not yet known whether combination chemotherapy is more effective than gemcitabine hydrochloride and paclitaxel albumin-stabilized nanoparticle formulation before surgery in treating pancreatic cancer.

PRIMARY OBJECTIVES: I. To assess 2-year overall survival in each treatment arm (fluorouracil, irinotecan hydrochloride, and oxaliplatin \[modified (m)FOLFIRINOX\] and gemcitabine \[gemcitabine hydrochloride\]/nab-paclitaxel \[paclitaxel albumin-stabilized nanoparticle formulation\]) in patients with resectable pancreatic cancer. II. If the stated threshold is met in one or both arms: to choose the better regimen with respect to 2-year overall survival. SECONDARY OBJECTIVES: I. To estimate, for all patients and within treatment arms: frequency and severity of adverse events associated with chemotherapy in the perioperative setting. II. To estimate, for all patients and within treatment arms: proportion of patients going to surgery for resection after preoperative chemotherapy. III. To estimate, for all patients and within treatment arms: proportion of patients achieving macroscopically complete tumor removal with negative microscopic surgical margins (R0) resection after preoperative chemotherapy. IV. To estimate, for all patients and within treatment arms: overall response rate following preoperative chemotherapy, including confirmed and unconfirmed, complete and partial response, per Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors (RECIST) 1.1. V. To estimate, for all patients and within treatment arms: pathologic response rates after R0 or macroscopically complete tumor removal with any positive microscopic surgical margin (R1) resection. VI. To estimate, for all patients and within treatment arms: patterns of recurrence (loco-regional, distant) after R0 or R1 resection. VII. To estimate, for all patients and within treatment arms: disease-free survival from the time of R0 or R1 resection. OUTLINE: Patients are randomized to 1 of 2 treatment arms. ARM I: Patients receive oxaliplatin intravenously (IV) over 2 hours and irinotecan hydrochloride IV over 90 minutes on days 1 and 15. Patients also receive fluorouracil IV over 46 hours on days 1-3 and 15-17. Treatment repeats every 28 days for 3 courses in the absence of disease progression or unacceptable toxicity. Patients achieving stable disease or better undergo pancreatectomy 4-8 weeks after completion of first 3 courses of treatment. Within 4-8 weeks following pancreatectomy, patients receive an additional 3 courses of oxaliplatin, irinotecan hydrochloride, and fluorouracil treatment in the absence of disease progression or unacceptable toxicity. ARM II: Patients receive paclitaxel albumin-stabilized nanoparticle formulation IV over 30 minutes and gemcitabine hydrochloride IV over 30 minutes on days 1, 8, and 15. Treatment repeats every 28 days for 3 courses in the absence of disease progression or unacceptable toxicity. Patients achieving stable disease or better undergo pancreatectomy 4-8 weeks after completion of first 3 courses of treatment. Within 4-8 weeks following pancreatectomy, patients receive an additional 3 courses of paclitaxel albumin-stabilized nanoparticle formulation and gemcitabine hydrochloride treatment in the absence of disease progression or unacceptable toxicity. After completion of study treatment, patients are followed up every 3 months for 2 years and then every 6 months for 2 years.