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

DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:

* Histologically confirmed squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck

  * Metastatic and/or locally recurrent disease
  * No undifferentiated and nonkeratinizing carcinomas, including lymphoepitheliomas of all locations, as well as tumors of the parotid gland

    * WHO Type I squamous cell carcinoma of the nasopharynx are allowed
* Incurable with surgery or radiotherapy
* Measurable disease, defined as ≥ 1 target lesion ≥ 20 mm OR ≥ 10 mm on spiral CT scan

  * If the only site of measurable disease is in a previously irradiated area, the patient must have documented progressive disease by tomography or biopsy-proven residual carcinoma
* No symptomatic brain metastases that are not stable, are not adequately controlled with fixed-dose oral steroids, are potentially life-threatening, or have required radiotherapy within the last 14 days

PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:

* ECOG performance status 0-2
* Predicted life expectancy ≥ 12 weeks
* Absolute neutrophil count ≥ 1,500/mm\^3
* Platelet count ≥ 100,000/mm\^3
* Bilirubin ≤ 1.5 times upper limit of normal (ULN)
* AST and/or ALT ≤ 2.5 times ULN
* Creatinine ≤ 1.5 times ULN
* Not pregnant or nursing
* Negative pregnancy test
* Fertile patients must practice effective contraceptive measures
* No other prior malignancy within the past 3 years except for adequately treated basal cell or squamous cell skin cancer or in situ cervical cancer
* No active or uncontrolled infection or other serious illnesses or medical conditions
* No history of any psychiatric condition that might impair the patient's ability to understand or to comply with the requirements of the study or to provide informed consent

PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:

* See Disease Characteristics
* No more than two prior chemotherapy regimens for locally recurrent and/or metastatic disease
* Prior induction chemotherapy or chemoradiotherapy with curative intent for local disease allowed provided patient has received no more than two prior chemotherapy regimens for recurrent disease
* Prior therapy must have been completed a minimum of 14 days prior to study AND patient has recovered
* No prior molecular-directed therapies, such as tyrosine kinase inhibitors and/or monoclonal antibodies
* At least 14 days must have elapsed between the end of radiotherapy and study registration and recovered
* At least 14 days since prior surgery AND wound healing has occurred
* At least 7 days since prior herbal extracts and tinctures with CYP3A inhibitory activity, including any of the following:

  * Hydrastis canadensis (goldenseal)
  * Uncaria tomentosa (cat's claw)
  * Echinacea angustifolia roots
  * Trifolium pratense (wild cherry)
  * Matricaria chamomilla (chamomile)
  * Glycyrrhiza glabra (licorice)
  * Dillapiol
  * Naringenin
* No other concurrent anticancer therapy or other investigational agents
* No concurrent administration of any of the following:

  * Phenytoin
  * Carbamazepine
  * Rifampicin
  * Barbiturates
  * Hypericum perforatum (St. John's wort)
  * CYP3A inhibitors (e.g., itraconazole)