Studying Genes in Blood and Lung Fluid Samples From Patients With Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease With or Without a Previous Diagnosis of Lung Cancer or With Asthma Treated With Budesonide and Formoterol

DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS: * Meets 1 of the following criteria: * Former smoker with a 30 pack-year smoking history and mild to moderate degree of airflow obstruction, meeting the following criterion: * GOLD class 1 or 2 chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), defined as a post-bronchodilator FEV\_1 \< 80% of predicted and FEV\_1 to FVC ratio \< 70% * Former smoker with COPD and has undergone a prior curative resection for stage 0 or I non-small cell lung cancer * Non-smoker with mild to moderate bronchial asthma not already on inhaled corticosteroids, meeting the following criterion: * Fully reversible airflow obstruction and post-bronchodilator FEV\_1 \> 80% of predicted * No invasive cancer on bronchoscopy or abnormal spiral chest CT scan suspicious of lung cancer PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS: * ECOG performance status 0-1 * Not pregnant or nursing * Fertile patients must use effective contraception * Willing to use study drug twice daily regularly * Willing to undergo a bronchoscopy * Not planning to donate blood during study participation * No known or suspected hypersensitivity to budesonide, formoterol fumarate dihydrate, or excipients in study drug * No known reaction to xylocaine * No history of allergy to Symbicort, Pulmicort, or Oxeze Turbuhaler * No significant medical condition, such as acute or chronic respiratory failure, unstable angina, uncontrolled congestive heart failure, or bleeding disorder that, in the opinion of the investigator, may either put the patient at risk due to study participation or preclude the patient's ability to complete the study * No travel or planned hospitalization that would preclude the patient's ability to complete the study PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY: * More than 6 months since prior and no other concurrent inhaled corticosteroids (e.g., budesonide \[Pulmicort Turbuhaler\], fluticasone \[Flovent\], beclomethasone dipropionate \[QVAR\], or fluticasone/salmeterol \[Advair\]) * More than 6 months since prior and no concurrent oral steroids (e.g., prednisone) * No concurrent montelukast * No concurrent immunomodulatory or immunosuppressive medication (e.g., anti-TNF or methotrexate) * No concurrent beta-adrenergic blockers (e.g., atenolol or inderal), orally or as eye drops