Prognostic Study of Metastases in Patients With Stage I, Stage II, or Stage III Non-small Cell Lung Cancer That Can Be Removed by Surgery

OBJECTIVES: * Determine the relationship between three indicators of occult metastases (cytological examination of pleural lavage, immunohistochemistry (IHC) assay of lymph nodes, and IHC assay of rib bone marrow) and survival of patients with resectable non-small cell lung cancer. * Determine the relationship between these indicators and conventional histology. * Model survival considering the indicators and other patient attributes that are of prime prognostic significance. * Determine the relationships between the indicators and the site of first recurrence in these patients. * Determine the prevalence of the indicators in these patients. * Determine the relationships between the indicators and disease free survival in these patients.