Gefitinib in Treating Patients With Stage I, Stage II, or Stage III Esophageal Cancer That Can Be Removed By Surgery

DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS: * Histologically confirmed squamous cell or adenocarcinoma of the thoracic esophagus * Resectable, localized disease with or without metastases in local lymph nodes (T1, T2, or T3; any N; M0) * Stage I-III disease * No known distant metastases * No cervical-esophageal tumors (upper border \< 18 cm from the incisor teeth) * No supraclavicular metastases PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS: Performance status * ECOG 0-2 Life expectancy * Not specified Hematopoietic * Adequate bone marrow function Hepatic * Adequate hepatic function * No unstable or uncompensated hepatic disease Renal * Creatinine ≤ grade 2 by Common Toxicity Criteria * Adequate renal function * No unstable or uncompensated renal disease Cardiovascular * No unstable or uncompensated cardiac disease Pulmonary * No clinically active interstitial lung disease unless it is asymptomatic with chronic stable radiographic changes * No unstable or uncompensated respiratory disease Other * Not pregnant or nursing * Fertile patients must use effective contraception * No known hypersensitivity to gefitinib or any of the excipients * No other malignancy within the past 2 years except basal cell carcinoma or carcinoma in situ of the cervix * No evidence of severe or uncontrolled systemic disease * No other significant clinical disorder or laboratory finding that would preclude study participation PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY: Endocrine therapy * Concurrent stable-dose steroids allowed Surgery * Recovered from any prior oncologic or other major surgery Other * More than 30 days since prior nonapproved or investigational drug * No prior therapy for this or any other malignancy * No concurrent phenytoin, carbamazepine, barbiturates, rifampin, or Hypericum perforatum (St. John's wort)