Cediranib Maleate in Treating Patients With Recurrent or Newly Diagnosed Metastatic Head and Neck Cancer

Inclusion Criteria: * Histologically confirmed squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck meeting one of the following criteria: * Recurrent disease * Previously treated with standard curative therapy, including surgery and/or radiotherapy with or without chemotherapy * Newly diagnosed metastatic disease * Must be deemed incurable by all of the following: * Salvage surgery * Radiotherapy * Measurable disease ≥ 1 cm by conventional techniques, flexible fiberoptic laryngoscopy, or examination under anesthesia * No more than 2 prior conventional or investigational systemic therapies for categorically incurable local-regional or distant disease * No known primary brain tumor or brain metastases * ECOG performance status 0-1 * Life expectancy ≥ 6 months * WBC \> 3,000/mm³ * Absolute neutrophil count \> 1,500/mm³ * Platelet count \> 100,000/mm³ * Hemoglobin \> 8 g/dL * Bilirubin normal * AST and ALT ≤ 2.5 times upper limit of normal * Creatinine normal OR creatinine clearance \> 60 mL/min * Proteinuria ≤ +1 on 2 consecutive urine dipsticks taken ≥ 1 week apart * Not pregnant or nursing * Negative pregnancy test * Fertile patients must use effective contraception * History of nonmelanoma skin cancer or other prior malignancy allowed provided the cancer has been in remission for \> 3 years * No history of allergic reaction attributed to compounds of similar chemical or biological composition to AZD2171 * No hypertension (i.e., systolic blood pressure (BP) \> 160 mm …