Erlotinib and Cisplatin in Treating Patients With Recurrent or Metastatic Head and Neck Cancer

DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:

* Histologically confirmed squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck

  * All primary sites, including oral cavity, oropharynx, nasopharynx, hypopharynx, larynx, and paranasal sinus
* Recurrent, unresectable, and/or metastatic disease
* At least 1 measurable lesion

  * At least 20 mm with conventional techniques OR at least 10 mm with spiral CT scan
* Lesions accessible for biopsy
* Tumor specimen available for evaluation of epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) expression
* No known brain metastases

PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:

Age:

* 18 and over

Performance status:

* ECOG 0-2 OR
* Karnofsky 60-100%

Life expectancy:

* More than 12 weeks

Hematopoietic:

* WBC at least 3,000/mm\^3
* Absolute neutrophil count at least 1,500/mm\^3
* Platelet count at least 100,000/mm\^3

Hepatic:

* Bilirubin no greater than 1.25 times upper limit of normal (ULN)
* AST and ALT no greater than 2.5 times ULN

Renal:

* Creatinine normal OR
* Creatinine clearance at least 60 mL/min

Cardiovascular:

* No symptomatic congestive heart failure
* No unstable angina pectoris
* No cardiac arrhythmia

Gastrointestinal:

* No gastrointestinal tract disease resulting in malabsorption
* No requirement for IV alimentation
* No active peptic ulcer disease
* Inability to swallow tablets or silicon-based G-tubes allowed

Ophthalmic:

* No abnormalities of the cornea based on history (e.g., dry eye syndrome or Sjogren's syndrome)
* No congenital abnormality (e.g., Fuch's dystrophy)
* No abnormal slit-lamp examination using a vital dye (e.g., fluorescein or Bengal-Rose)
* No abnormal corneal sensitivity test (e.g., Schirmer test or similar tear production test)

Other:

* Not pregnant or nursing
* Negative pregnancy test
* Fertile patients must use effective contraception
* No other malignancy within the past 5 years except carcinoma in situ of the cervix, nonmelanoma skin cancer, or second primary squamous cell cancer originating from the head and neck
* No grade 2 or greater residual ototoxicity or neuropathy from prior platinum-based therapy
* No significant traumatic injury within the past 21 days
* No other concurrent uncontrolled illness
* No ongoing or active infection
* No psychiatric illness or social situation that would preclude study participation

PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:

Biologic therapy:

* Not specified

Chemotherapy:

* No prior chemotherapy for recurrent or metastatic disease
* Prior platinum-based chemotherapy with radiotherapy or platinum-based induction chemotherapy allowed
* At least 6 months since prior chemotherapy

Endocrine therapy:

* Not specified

Radiotherapy:

* See Chemotherapy
* At least 4 weeks since prior radiotherapy (except low-dose, limited-fraction palliative non-myelosuppressive radiotherapy \[e.g., involving less than 20% of functioning bone marrow using 800 cGy in 1 fraction or 2,000 cGy in 5 fractions\]) and recovered
* No prior radiotherapy to target lesion unless there is evidence of disease progression

Surgery:

* See Disease Characteristics
* At least 21 days since prior major surgery
* No prior surgical procedure affecting gastrointestinal absorption

Other:

* No prior EGFR-targeting therapies
* No prior investigational agents for recurrent or metastatic disease
* No concurrent combination anti-retroviral therapy for HIV infection
* No other concurrent investigational agents
* No other concurrent anticancer treatment