Gefitinib Followed By Surgery in Treating Women With Ductal Carcinoma In Situ of the Breast

DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS: * Histologically confirmed ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) of the breast OR mammogram highly suspicious for DCIS * No invasive disease * Not completely excised * Epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) positive (\> 10% of cells stained) * Planned lumpectomy or mastectomy within the next 2-4 weeks * Hormone receptor status: * Estrogen receptor status known PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS: Age * 35 and over Sex * Female Menopausal status * Not specified Performance status * ECOG 0-1 Life expectancy * Not specified Hematopoietic * Granulocyte count \> 1,500/mm\^3 * Platelet count \> 100,000/mm\^3 Hepatic * Bilirubin \< 1.5 mg/dL * SGOT ≤ 2 times upper limit of normal (ULN) * SGPT \< 1.5 times ULN * PT and PTT ≤ 1.5 times ULN * INR ≤ 1.5 times ULN Renal * Creatinine \< 1.5 mg/dL Cardiovascular * No New York Heart Association class I-IV heart disease Pulmonary * No acute asthma Other * Not pregnant or nursing * Negative pregnancy test * Fertile patients must use effective contraception * Random blood sugar \< 2.5 times ULN * No known hypersensitivity to study drug or its excipients * No nonhealing wound or fracture * No active infection * No other malignancy within the past 5 years except basal cell carcinoma, breast carcinoma, or carcinoma in situ of the cervix * No psychosis or severe depression * No other concurrent uncontrolled illness PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY: Biologic therapy * No prior trastuzumab (Herceptin®) Chemotherapy * At least 1 year since prior chemotherapy * No concurrent chemotherapy Endocrine therapy * At least 1 year since prior aromatase inhibitors * At least 1 year since prior antiestrogens or luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone agonists or antagonists * No concurrent glucocorticoids * Concurrent oral contraceptives allowed * Concurrent hormone replacement therapy allowed Radiotherapy * At least 1 year since prior radiotherapy * No concurrent radiotherapy Surgery * See Disease Characteristics * Recovered from prior oncologic or other major surgery * No prior organ allograft Other * Recovered from all prior therapy (except alopecia) * More than 30 days since prior non-approved or investigational drugs * No prior definitive local therapy * No prior immunosuppressive therapy * No prior gefitinib * No other prior EGFR inhibitors * No other concurrent cytotoxic drugs * No concurrent warfarin for anticoagulation * No concurrent CYP3A4 inducers, including any of the following: * Phenytoin * Carbamazepine * Barbiturates * Rifampin * Phenobarbital * Hypericum perforatum (St. John's wort) * Ethosuximide * Griseofulvin * Nafcillin * Nelfinavir * Nevirapine * Oxcarbazepine * Phenylbutazone * Primidone * Rifabutin * Rofecoxib * Sulfamethazine * Sulfinpyrazone * Troglitazone * No concurrent antiretroviral treatment for HIV-positive patients