Combination Chemotherapy Plus Radiation Therapy With or Without AE-941 in Treating Patients With Stage III Non-small Cell Lung Cancer That Cannot Be Removed By Surgery

Inclusion Criteria

• •Histologically or cytologically confirmed newly diagnosed, untreated, unresectable stage IIIA or stage IIIB non-small cell lung cancer
• •* Squamous cell carcinoma, adenocarcinoma, or large cell carcinoma of the lung
• •* Mixed tumors allowed if non-small cell elements identified
• •* Contralateral supraclavicular and/or scalene lymph node involvement allowed
• •* No disease extending into the cervical region
• •At least 1 bidimensionally or unidimensionally measurable lesion
• •No pleural effusion unless cytologically negative or too small to safely aspirate
• •Not scheduled for curative cancer surgery
• •Performance status - ECOG 0-1
• •Absolute neutrophil count greater than 1,500/mm\^3
• •Platelet count greater than 100,000/mm\^3
• •Hematocrit greater than 30%
• •SGOT or SGPT less than 1.5 times upper limit of normal
• •Bilirubin normal
• •Creatinine less than 1.5 mg/dL
• •Creatinine clearance greater than 60 mL/min
• •No other major medical or psychiatric illness that would preclude study participation or consent
• •No medical condition that interferes with oral medication intake and/or absorption (gastrectomy or major intestinal resection)
• •No grade 2 or greater peripheral neuropathy unless secondary to mechanical etiology
• •No hypersensitivity to fish products
• •No more than 10% weight loss within past 3 months
• •No other malignancy within past 3 years except inactive carcinoma in situ of the cervix or nonmelanoma skin cancer
• •Not pregnant or nursing
• •Negative pregnancy test
• •Fertile patients must use effective contraception
• •At least 30 days since prior chemotherapy
• •See Disease Characteristics
• •Recovered from prior major surgery
• •At least 30 days since prior shark cartilage products
• •No other concurrent investigational anticancer agents
• •No other concurrent cartilage products
• •No other concurrent investigational agents
• •No concurrent amifostine or other radioprotectants
• •No concurrent enrollment in other clinical trials