Gefitinib and PEG-Interferon Alfa-2a in Treating Patients With Unresectable or Metastatic Skin Cancer

DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:

* Histologically or cytologically confirmed primary squamous cell carcinoma of the skin

  * Metastatic and/or unresectable locally recurrent disease
* Measurable disease
* No curative treatment option (including resection and radiotherapy) exists or is unacceptably morbid

PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:

* WHO performance status 0-2
* Absolute neutrophil count \> 1,500/mm³
* Platelet count \> 100,000/mm³
* Bilirubin \< 1.5 times upper limit of normal
* Not pregnant or nursing
* Negative pregnancy test
* Fertile patients must use effective contraception
* HIV/AIDS allowed
* Patients with other cancer diagnoses (e.g., chronic lymphocytic leukemia) are eligible provided disease is controlled and does not require active treatment
* No pre-existing medical problems or laboratory abnormalities ≥ grade 3 except renal allograft patients with chronic, stable grade 3-4 renal insufficiency who are dialysis candidates

  * Nontransplant patients with any degree of renal insufficiency allowed
* No serious medical or psychiatric illness that would preclude study compliance
* No evidence of severe or uncontrolled (≥ grade 3) systemic disease (e.g., unstable or uncompensated respiratory, cardiac, or hepatic disease)

PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:

* Prior solid organ transplant allowed
* Prior cytotoxic chemotherapy and radiotherapy allowed
* More than 30 days since prior experimental cancer treatment
* No prior epidermal growth factor receptor-inhibiting drugs, including gefitinib, erlotinib hydrochloride, or cetuximab
* No concurrent radiotherapy
* No concurrent cytotoxic chemotherapy or other drugs intended to control skin cancer