Chemotherapy Plus Radiation Therapy in Treating Patients With Stage I, Stage II, or Stage III Non-small Cell Lung Cancer That Cannot Be Surgically Removed

You may be eligible if

• DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:
• Histologically or cytologically confirmed non-small cell lung cancer
• * Stage I, II, III (T1-4, N0-3, M0)
• * No metastases to supraclavicular, contralateral hilar, or contralateral scalene lymph nodes
• * Medically inoperable or unresectable
• No pleural or pericardial effusion (except with repeated negative cytology)
• PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:
• Age:
• Over 18
• Performance status:
• ECOG 0 or 1
• Life expectancy:
• Not specified
• Hematopoietic:
• WBC at least 4,000/mm\^3
• Platelet count at least 100,000/mm\^3
• Hemoglobin at least 6.8 g/dL
• No hemoptysis causing a decrease of hemoglobin of 1 g/dL or more within 24 hours
• Hepatic:
• Not specified
• Renal:
• Creatinine no greater than 1.25 times normal OR
• Creatinine clearance greater than 70 mL/min
• Cardiovascular:
• No evidence of heart failure
• No myocardial infarction within the past 6 months
• No superior vena cava syndrome
• Pulmonary:
• FEV1 at least 1 L
• No pre-existing fibrotic lung disease
• No postobstructive pneumonia preventing exact delineation of tumor volume
• Diffusion capacity at least 60%
• Other:
• No weight loss of more than 10% in the past 3 months
• No uncontrolled infection
• No serious medical risk factors involving any of the major organ systems that would preclude adherence to the study treatment schedule
• PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:
• Biologic therapy:
• No concurrent immunotherapy
• Chemotherapy:
• No prior chemotherapy
• No other concurrent chemotherapy
• Endocrine therapy:
• Not specified
• Radiotherapy:
• No prior radiotherapy to the chest
• Maximum length of the esophagus receiving 40 Gy no greater than 18 cm
• Maximum length of the esophagus receiving 66 Gy no greater than 12 cm
• Must limit the spinal cord dose to a maximum of 50 Gy
• Must be able to exclude 25% of the heart from the boost volume
• Surgery:
• Not specified
• Other:
• No other concurrent experimental medications