Gefitinib in Treating Patients With Malignant Mesothelioma

Inclusion Criteria: * Histologically confirmed malignant mesothelioma that is not amenable to curative surgery or radiotherapy * Epithelial, sarcomatoid, or mixed subtype * Any site of origin (including, but not limited to, the pleura, peritoneum, pericardium, or tunica vaginalis) allowed * Measurable disease, defined as lesions that can be accurately measured in at least 1 dimension (longest diameter) as at least 20 mm with conventional techniques or at least 10 mm with spiral CT scan * Must be outside prior radiation port * Lesions not considered measurable include the following: * Bone lesions * Leptomeningeal disease * Ascites * Pleural/pericardial effusion * Inflammatory breast disease * Lymphangitis cutis/pulmonis * Abdominal masses not confirmed and followed by imaging techniques * Cystic lesions * No known brain metastases * Performance status - CTC 0-1 * Granulocyte count at least 1,500/mm\^3 * Platelet count at least 100,000/mm\^3 * Bilirubin no greater than 1.5 times upper limit of normal (ULN) * SGOT no greater than 2.5 times ULN * Creatinine no greater than 1.5 times ULN * No symptomatic congestive heart failure * No unstable angina pectoris * No cardiac arrhythmia * Not pregnant or nursing * Fertile patients must use effective contraception * No other concurrent active malignancy except nonmelanoma skin cancer * Disease considered not currently active if completely treated with less than a 30% risk for relapse * No …