DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:

• Healthy volunteer

PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:

• ECOG performance status 0-2
• Not pregnant or nursing
• Negative pregnancy test
• Fertile patients must use effective contraception
• Hemoglobin ≥ 12.0 g/dL (women)
• Hemoglobin ≥ 13.5 g/dL (men)
• WBC > 3,000/mm³
• Platelet count > 100,000/mm³
• Absolute neutrophil count > 1,500/mm³
• Alkaline phosphatase ≤ 1.5 times upper limit of normal (ULN)
• Bilirubin ≤ 1.5 times ULN
• ALT ≤ 1.5 times ULN
• Creatinine ≤ 1.5 times ULN OR creatinine clearance ≥ 30 mL/min
• No history of allergic reactions or hypersensitivity to sulindac or other NSAIDs, including aspirin-sensitive asthma or urticaria
• No condition that interferes with ingestion or absorption of oral medications
• No cancer within the past 3 years except nonmelanomatous skin cancer, localized prostate cancer, carcinoma in situ of the cervix, or superficial bladder cancer that was previously treated > 6 months ago

• No uncontrolled concurrent illness including, but not limited to, the following:

  • Ongoing or active infection
  • Symptomatic congestive heart failure
  • Unstable angina pectoris
  • Cardiac arrhythmia
  • Myocardial infarction in the past 6 months
  • Chronic renal disease
  • Chronic liver disease
  • Hypertension that is difficult to control
  • Psychiatric illness or social situations that would limit study compliance
• No other significant clinical disorder or laboratory finding that would preclude study participation
• No consumption of alcoholic or caffeinated beverages for ≥ 24 hours prior to study drug administration and until all blood samples have been drawn
• Willing to provide required biologic specimens

PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:

• More than 6 months since prior investigational agents

• More than 6 months since prior regular use of (defined as a frequency of 7 consecutive days for > 3 weeks or > 21 days total) or other concurrent nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) or cyclooxygenase (COX)-2 inhibitors including, but not limited to, the following:

  • Ibuprofen
  • Ketoprofen
  • Naproxen
• More than 6 weeks since prior oral corticosteroids

• More than 30 days since prior and no concurrent use of any of the following:

  • Methotrexate
  • Corticosteroids
  • Warfarin
  • Ticlopidine
  • Clopidogrel
  • Low molecular weight heparins
  • Abciximab
  • Dipyridamole
  • Eptifibatide
  • Tirofiban
  • Lithium
  • Cyclosporine
  • Hydralazine

  • Angiotensin-converting enzymes (ACE) inhibitors

    • ACE-receptor antagonists allowed
  • Angiotensin-receptor blockers
  • Ginkgo
  • Ketorolac
  • Levofloxacin
  • Loop diuretics
  • Meadowsweet
  • Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors
  • Danaparoid

• No concurrent regular aspirin use unless prescribed by a physician for prevention

  • A maximum of one aspirin (81 mg/day) allowed
• No concurrent herbal products (e.g., saw palmetto or Hypericum perforatum [St. John's wort])