Biomarkers in Patients With Respiratory Tract Dysplasia or Lung Cancer, Head and Neck Cancer, or Aerodigestive Tract Cancer and in Normal Volunteers

Inclusion Criteria:

• Diagnosis of extensive and severe dysplasia of the respiratory epithelium

• Those without dysplasia of the respiratory epithelium

• Recruited from the SPORE Tissue Procurement Screening Project or by private or academic physicians (for patients with moderate or severe dysplasia)

• Survived 1 or more aerodigestive system carcinoma for ≥ 1 year

• Completely resected stage I non-small cell cancer

• Undergoing any of the following procedures:

• Routine panendoscopy for patients with head and neck cancer

• Resection of a bronchogenic carcinoma

• Bronchoscopy for diagnosis or staging of suspected lung cancer

• Subsequent bronchoscopy for surveillance or monitoring of response to endobronchial treatment in patients with prior high-grade dysplasia or worse

• No asthma

• No lung disease

• No respiratory illness within the past 2 weeks Patients suspected of or at risk for neoplastic lung disease who are undergoing a bronchoscopy in which differential diagnostic considerations may include multiple other etiologies such as infection and other processes.

• Patients without dysplasia will be: patients undergoing clinically indicated bronchoscopy for conditions other than suspected lung cancer.

PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:

• No clinically apparent bleeding diathesis

• No known bleeding disorder

• No anginal

• No clinically active coronary artery disease

• No multifocal premature ventricular contractions

• No poorly controlled congestive heart failure

• No myocardial infarction within the past 6 weeks

• No cardiac dysrhythmia that is potentially life threatening

• Well-controlled atrial fibrillation or rare (< 2/min) premature ventricular contractions allowed

• No ventricular tachycardia or supraventricular tachycardia with a rapid ventricular response

• No other serious medical condition that would preclude a patient from undergoing a bronchoscopy

• No acute bronchitis or pneumonia within the past 8 weeks except when clinically proven as a possible result of lung cancer

• No hypoxemia (i.e., < 90% saturation with supplemental oxygen) before bronchoscopy

PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:

• See Disease Characteristics