Could a cancer pill before surgery help head and neck patients?

Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.

Inclusion Criteria: * Patients with histologically confirmed cancer of the head and neck. Patients with salivary gland tumors and squamous cell carcinomas of the skin are also eligible. (Note: Any patient with a diagnosis of aggressive squamous cell carcinoma of the skin and determined to be surgically resectable will be considered for eligibility. These patients are typically seen in the Head \& Neck surgery clinic and decisions for study consideration will be based on consultations with the department of Head \& Neck surgery.) * The patient must have biopsy-accessible disease. * Patients must be surgical candidates (either definitive or palliative setting). * Patients may have received prior therapy including cytotoxic chemotherapy (e.g. platinum drugs and taxanes) and radiation therapy. * Patients must have a performance score (ECOG) of 0-2. * Patients should have adequate bone marrow function, as defined by peripheral granulocyte count of \>/= 1,000/mm³, and a platelet count of \>/= 50,000/mm³.Patients must have adequate liver function with a bilirubin \</= 1.5 times the upper limit of normal (ULN). Aspartate aminotransferase (AST) and alanine aminotransferase (ALT) must be \</= 2 x the ULN and alkaline phosphatase must be \</= 2 x ULN. * Patients should have adequate renal function (serum creatinine \</= 1.5 x ULN). * Age \>/= 18 years * Ability to understand and the willingness to sign a written informed consent document indicating that they are aware of the investigational nature of the study, in keeping with institutional policy * Women of childbearing potential must agree to use adequate contraception (hormonal or barrier method of birth control; abstinence) prior to study entry and for the duration of study participation. Childbearing potential will be defined as women who have had menses within the past 12 months,who have not had tubal ligation or bilateral oophorectomy. Should a woman become pregnant or suspect that she is pregnant while participating in this study,she should inform her treating physician immediately.The patient,if a man,agrees to use effective contraception or abstinence. Exclusion Criteria: * Patients with prior exposure to small molecule tyrosine kinase inhibitors or EGFR-targeted antibodies within the past 6 months. * Patients for whom, in the opinion of the treating surgeon, the administration of erlotinib would cause a deleterious delay in surgical treatment. * Patients with uncompensated congestive cardiac failure. * Patients with an organ allograft. * Patients with a serious concurrent infection or illness including, but not limited to, unstable angina pectoris, cardiac arrhythmia, or psychiatric illness that could limit compliance with study requirements. * Female patients who are pregnant or breastfeeding * Patients currently on chemotherapy, immunotherapy, or therapy with monoclonal antibodies or other investigational agents with anti-tumor activity