Erlotinib in Treating Patients With Locally Advanced or Metastatic Stomach Cancer or Gastroesophageal Junction Cancer

OBJECTIVES: * Determine the overall response rate of patients with locally advanced or metastatic adenocarcinoma of the stomach or gastroesophageal junction treated with erlotinib. (Gastric stratum temporarily closed to accrual as of 03/01/2003.) * Determine the frequency and severity of toxic effects of this drug in these patients. * Determine the overall survival and time to treatment failure in patients treated with this drug. * Determine the value of intratumoral expression of epidermal growth factor receptor in predicting patient response to this drug. OUTLINE: This is a multicenter study. Patients are stratified according to cancer site (stomach vs gastroesophageal junction). (The gastric stratum is temporarily closed to accrual as of 03-01-2003.) Patients receive oral erlotinib once daily. Courses repeat every 28 days in the absence of disease progression or unacceptable toxicity. Patients are followed every 6 months for 3 years. PROJECTED ACCRUAL: A total of 40-80 patients (20-40 per stratum) will be accrued for this study within 14-40 months. (The gastric stratum is temporarily closed to accrual as of 03-01-2003.)