Erlotinib Hydrochloride in Treating Patients With Pancreatic Cancer That Can Be Removed by Surgery

Inclusion Criteria: * Confirmed IPMN histological diagnosis, endoscopic ultrasound fine needle aspiration (EUS-FNA) core biopsy tissue specimen with plan for pancreatic surgical resection; histological diagnosis should be within 6 months of entry into protocol * Patients must have adequate bone marrow function at study entry * White blood cell (WBC) \> 3,000 * Platelets \> 100,000/mm\^3 * Hemoglobin \> 10 g/dL * Plasma creatinine of \< 1.6 mg/dL * Total bilirubin \< 1.5 * Serum aspartate aminotransferase (AST) and alanine aminotransferase (ALT) \< 1.5 x upper limit of normal * Patients with evidence of obstructive lung disease (forced expiratory volume in one second \[FEV1\] \< 80% predicted and FEV1/forced vital capacity \[FVC\] ratio \< 90% of predicted value) as the etiology of a low diffusing capacity will still be eligible as long as the chest radiograph or computed tomography (CT) does not demonstrate interstitial changes * Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) performance status 0-1 * Women of child-bearing potential and men taking study drug 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 * Ability to understand, as well as sign the written informed consent document * If a woman of child-bearing potential, must have a negative pregnancy test prior to study entry; should a woman become pregnant or suspect she is pregnant while participating in this study, she should inform her study physician immediately Exclusion Criteria: * Intake of EGFR antagonist, Erbitux (cetuximab) * Previous history of sensitivity to Tarceva (erlotinib hydrochloride), Iressa (gefitinib), or Erbitux, such as a rash that is uncontrollable by topical steroids and/or antibiotics * Uncontrollable diarrhea of any cause * Active keratoconjunctivitis, or corneal surgery in the past three weeks * Participants taking a known cytochrome P450 3A4 (CYP 3A4) inducer (e.g., phenytoin, carbamazepine, St. John's wort, and rifampin) and medications known to be inhibitors or metabolized by CYP3A4; these inhibitors include erythromycin, clarithromycin and ketoconazole, and patients taking them will be excluded since these drugs may be expected to result in altered exposure of Erlotinib * Hospitalization within the past 5 years for mania or for bipolar disease * Participants may not be receiving any other investigational pharmaceutical agents * Women who are breast-feeding should not receive Erlotinib * Any medical or psychosocial condition that, in the opinion of the investigator, could jeopardize the subject's participation in and compliance to the study