Gefitinib in Treating Patients Who Are Undergoing Surgery and/or Radiation Therapy for Locally Advanced or Recurrent Squamous Cell Skin Cancer

Oral Gefitinib induction therapy given daily for 2 months at 250 mg/day, once a day for 30 days (1 cycle = 30 days) with at least 2 cycles of treatment (60 days) given. After 2 months evaluate for clinical response (15 days) and resectability (60 days). If after 15 days with no tumor response, daily dose doubled (500 mg), and discontinuation if tumor progression.

Undergo radiation therapy treatments once a day Monday through Friday for about 7 weeks. Each treatment takes about 15 minutes.

Undergo surgery

Correlative studies