Celecoxib and Erlotinib in Treating Patients With Liver Cancer

DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:

* Histological evidence of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC)

  * No evidence of residual or recurrent disease
* Received 1 of the following therapies:

  * Tumor resection between 4-8 weeks prior to study enrollment
  * Transarterial chemo-embolization between the past 4-8 weeks
  * Radiofrequency ablation and percutaneous ethanol injection (sequential or combinations thereof) between the past 2-8 weeks
* Meets 1 of the following high-risk features for recurrence:

  * History of resection of a single HCC \> 5 cm
  * History of multifocal HCC (includes microsatellite disease found at time of resection)
  * History of vascular invasion (macro or micro)
  * History of poorly differentiated HCC
  * Underlying cirrhosis
* No Child-Pugh class C cirrhosis

PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:

* Absolute neutrophil count \> 1,500/mm\^3
* Platelet count ≥ 75,000/mm\^3
* Hemoglobin ≥ 9.0 g/dL
* Creatinine ≤ 2.0 mg/dL
* Bilirubin ≤ 2.0 mg/dL
* AST/ALT ≤ 3 times upper limit of normal (ULN)
* Alkaline phosphatase ≤ 3 times ULN
* INR ≤ 1.5 times ULN
* Albumin ≥ 2.5 g/dL
* ECOG performance status 0-2
* Life expectancy ≥ 2 years
* Not pregnant or nursing
* Negative pregnancy test
* Fertile patients must use effective contraception during and for at least 6 months after completion of study treatment
* No other malignancy within the past 5 years except nonmelanoma skin cancer
* Patients must agree not to wear contact lenses
* No history of ulcer disease or gastrointestinal bleeding
* No myocardial infarction within the past 18 months
* No cerebral vascular event within the past 18 months
* No history of aspirin or NSAID-induced asthma
* No history of Gilbert's syndrome
* No history of hypersensitivity reaction or allergy to sulfa drugs, aspirin, or other NSAIDs
* No liver transplantation candidates for phase I portion of the study
* No New York Heart Association class III or IV cardiac disease
* No interstitial lung disease
* No gastrointestinal disease prohibiting oral medication or requiring IV alimentation
* No active peptic ulcer disease
* No unstable angina pectoris
* No ongoing, active, or untreated infection
* No hypersensitivity to celecoxib
* No rising alpha-fetal protein (AFP) not attributable to hepatitis B or C virus
* No psychiatric illness or social situation that would preclude study compliance

PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:

* No prior liver transplantation
* No prior chemotherapy or biologic therapy in the adjuvant setting
* No prior chest or mantle radiotherapy
* No concurrent aspirin or other nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID)
* No concurrent interferon
* No concurrent oral steroids
* No concurrent anticoagulant therapy
* No concurrent CYP3A4 inducers or inhibitors
* No concurrent commercial or other investigational anticancer agents or therapies
* No concurrent selective cyclooxygenase-2 inhibitors
* No concurrent antineoplastic or antitumor agents, including chemotherapy, radiotherapy, immunotherapy, or hormonal anticancer therapy