NT-I7 for the Treatment of Recurrent Squamous Cell Carcinoma of Head and Neck Undergoing Surgery

Inclusion Criteria: * Patients must have histologically or cytologically confirmed squamous cell carcinoma of oral cavity, oropharynx, hypopharynx or larynx with recurrent disease which is amenable for curative intent surgical resection * Age \>= 18 years. * Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) performance status =\< 2 (Karnofsky \>= 60%) * Absolute neutrophil count \>= 1,500/microliter (mcL) * Platelets \>= 100,000/mcL * Total bilirubin =\< 1.5 x institutional upper limit of normal (ULN) unless elevated due to Gilbert's syndrome and direct bilirubin is within normal limits * Aspartate aminotransferase (AST) (serum glutamic-oxaloacetic transaminase (SGOT)) =\< 3 X institutional upper limit of normal * Alanine aminotransferase (ALT) (serum glutamate pyruvate transaminase (SGPT) =\< 3 X institutional upper limit of normal * Alkaline phosphatase =\< 2.5 x ULN (=\< 5 x ULN for subjects with documented liver involvement or bone metastases) * Creatinine =\< 1.5 x within institutional upper limit of normal OR * Creatinine clearance glomerular filtration rate (GFR) \>= 50 mL/min/1.73 m\^2,calculated using the Cockcroft-Gault equation, unless data exists supporting safe use at lower kidney function values, no lower than 30 mL/min/1.73 m\^2 * Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-infected individuals on effective anti-retroviral therapy with undetectable viral load within 6 months are eligible for this trial * For patients with evidence of chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection, …