Combination Chemotherapy and Radiation Therapy in Treating Patients With Stage II or Stage III Non-small Cell Lung Cancer That Cannot Be Removed By Surgery

OBJECTIVES: * Determine the probability of overall survival and local control in patients with favorable prognosis, unresectable stage II-IIIA/B non-small cell lung cancer receiving paclitaxel and carboplatin plus 3-D conformal hyperfractionation radiotherapy (3D-CHRT). * Determine the incidence and severity of nonhematologic toxicity, specifically esophagitis and pneumonitis, during 3D-CHRT and chemotherapy with paclitaxel and carboplatin in these patients. * Correlate complication rate with radiation based on the effective dose to determine safe treatment guidelines. * Determine the feasibility of patient-specific dose escalation using this regimen in these patients. * Determine the quality of life and symptom distress in these patients on this regimen. OUTLINE: This is a dose-escalation study of 3-D conformal hyperfractionated radiotherapy (3D-CHRT). Patients receive paclitaxel IV over 1 hour followed immediately by carboplatin IV over 30 minutes weekly for 6-8 weeks. Patients undergo 3D-CHRT twice daily five days a week for 6-8 weeks. Cohorts of patients receive escalating doses of 3D-CHRT in 4 dose levels. Quality of life is assessed prior to study, weekly during chemotherapy and radiotherapy, and at 3 and 6 months. Patients are followed at 6 weeks, every 3 months for 1 year, every 6 months for 2 years and then annually thereafter. PROJECTED ACCRUAL: A total of 26-72 patients will be accrued for this study within 3 years.