Cetuximab in Treating Patients With Precancerous Lesions of the Upper Aerodigestive Tract

DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS: * Histologically confirmed high-risk, premalignant lesions of the upper aerodigestive tract, meeting one of the following criteria: * Unresectable, diffuse high-grade dysplasia, defined as moderate or severe dysplasia that is not assessable by physical examination and/or that cannot be excised by standard surgical techniques * previously treated HNSCC with persistent or recurrent high grade dysplasia with no evidence of head and neck malignancy for three months prior to enrollment or who have successfully completed therapy for head and neck malignancy more than 3 months prior to enrollment. * Dysplastic lesions with 3p or 9p loss of heterozygosity * Disease location amenable to endoscopic biopsy in an outpatient clinical setting or operative biopsy within the routine scheduling and practice of clinical care * No medical contraindication to biopsy of the target lesion * Pathology must be reviewed by the Johns Hopkins Hospital Department of Pathology PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS: * Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) performance status 0-1 * Absolute neutrophil count (ANC) \> 1,000/mm³ * Platelet count \> 75,000/mm³ * Creatinine clearance \> 60 mL/min * Total serum bilirubin \< 1.5 mg/dL * Not pregnant or nursing * Negative pregnancy test * Fertile patients must use effective contraception during and for 3 months after completion of study therapy * No concurrent illness likely to preclude study therapy or surgical resection * Patients wi…