Zileuton in Preventing Lung Cancer in Patients With Bronchial Dysplasia

DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS: * At high risk for dysplasia, defined by 1 of the following criteria: * Current or former smokers who have smoked at least 30 pack-years * Former smokers must be enrolled within 20 years of complete smoking cessation * Patients with curatively treated stage I non-small cell lung cancer\* * Patients with curatively treated stage I or II squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck (limited to oral cavity, pharynx, or larynx)\* NOTE: \*At least 12 months post-curative therapy * Histologic confirmation of mild to severe bronchial dysplasia on bronchoscopic biopsy required * Moderate or severe atypia on sputum cytology required before bronchoscopy (not required for patients with prior lung or head and neck cancer) * No evidence of malignancy by chest x-ray PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS: Age * 18 and over (for patients with prior lung or head and neck malignancy) * 35 and over (for all other patients) Performance status * SWOG 0-1 Life expectancy * Not specified Hematopoietic * WBC at least 3,000/mm\^3 * Platelet count at least 100,000/mm\^3 * Hemoglobin at least 10.0 g/dL * No bleeding disorder Hepatic * Bilirubin no greater than upper limit of normal (ULN) * Liver enzymes no greater than ULN * PT/PTT no greater than ULN * No active or chronic liver disease (even if transaminases have normalized) Renal * Creatinine no greater than ULN Cardiovascular * No unstable angina * No uncontrolled heart failure Pulmonary * No significant …