Erlotinib and Surgery in Treating Patients With Head and Neck Cancer That Can Be Removed by Surgery

DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:

* Histologically or cytologically confirmed squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) of the oral cavity, oropharynx, hypopharynx, or larynx

  * SCC of the base of the tongue, pharynx, larynx, or hypopharynx are eligible provided additional biopsy tissue has been already saved in the Tumor Tissue Core Laboratory for research purposes
  * SCC of the oral cavity or tonsils are eligible only if they already have or agree to have additional biopsies of tumor with adjacent normal tissue available for molecular studies
* Candidate for surgical treatment with an established date for surgery with ≥ a 15 day window of opportunity
* Measurable disease by CT scan or MRI
* No nasopharyngeal carcinoma

PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:

Inclusion criteria:

* ECOG performance status 0-2
* ANC \> 1,500/µL
* Platelet count \> 100,000/µL
* Total bilirubin \< 1.5 mg/dL
* AST/ALT \< 2 times upper limit of normal
* Creatinine \< 1.5 mg/dL
* Not pregnant or nursing
* Negative pregnancy test
* Fertile patients must use effective contraception

Exclusion criteria:

* Uncontrolled intercurrent illness including, but not limited to, any of the following:

  * Ongoing or active infection or psychiatric illness/social situations that would limit compliance with study requirements
  * Significant history of uncontrolled cardiac disease (i.e., uncontrolled hypertension, unstable angina, or myocardial infarction within the past 3 months)
  * Uncontrolled congestive heart failure
  * Cardiomyopathy with decreased ejection fraction
* History of interstitial lung disease (e.g., pneumonitis or pulmonary fibrosis) or evidence of interstitial lung disease on chest CT scan
* Clinically significant ophthalmologic abnormalities
* HIV positivity

PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:

* More than 1 year since prior chemotherapy, biologic therapy, or hormonal therapy
* No prior radiotherapy or chemotherapy for this tumor
* No prior EGFR inhibitors
* No concurrent grapefruit or grapefruit juice
* No other concurrent investigational agents