RATIONALE: Diagnostic procedures, such as positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT) scanning before surgery, may help measure the extent of disease.

PURPOSE: This clinical trial is studying PET/CT scanning before surgery in patients with non-small cell lung cancer, colorectal cancer, breast cancer, esophageal cancer, or head and neck cancer.

OBJECTIVES:

• To determine the ability of preoperative fludeoxyglucose F 18 positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT) scanning in assessing tumor angiogenesis in patients with potentially operable non-small cell lung cancer, colorectal cancer, breast cancer, esophageal cancer, or head and neck cancer.
• To determine the ability of preoperative fludeoxyglucose F 18 PET/CT scanning in assessing prognosis by means of measuring angiogenesis in these patients.

OUTLINE: All patients undergo fludeoxyglucose F 18 positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT) scanning for staging, tumor perfusion measurement/angiogenesis, and glucose metabolism. If staging confirms operable disease, then the patient proceeds to surgery as planned. Resected tumor tissue samples are examined for tumor angiogenesis in the various cancer types.

Some patients undergo a half-dose of rubidium Rb-82 or 18F-fluoromisonidazole or [18F]-ML-10 PET scan or fluorescence angiography. Patients with colorectal cancer undergo a CT scan for perfusion of the tumor after the staging PET/CT. Patients with breast cancer undergo infrared thermometry as well as a MRI scan for staging and to predict angiogenesis.

After completion of study therapy, patients are followed up at 1 month and then every 6 months for 5 years.

DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:

• Diagnosis of non-small cell lung cancer, colorectal cancer, breast cancer, esophageal cancer, or head and neck cancer

  • Potentially operable disease

• Hormone receptor status not specified

PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:

• Not specified
• Menopausal status not specified

PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:

• Not specified