Combination Chemotherapy With or Without Tirapazamine in Treating Patients With Stage IIIB or Stage IV Non-small Cell Lung Cancer

You may be eligible if

• DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:
• Histologically or cytologically proven newly diagnosed advanced primary non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), including the following cellular types:
• * Adenocarcinoma
• * Large cell carcinoma
• * Squamous cell carcinoma
• * Unspecified carcinoma OR
• Recurrent disease after prior surgery and/or radiotherapy
• Stage IIIB disease
• * T4 lesion due to malignant pleural effusion OR
• Stage IV disease
• * Any T, any N, M1 (distant metastasis, including lesions in multiple lobes of the ipsilateral lung)
• Measurable or evaluable disease
• * Pleural effusions, ascites, and laboratory parameters not considered as only evidence of disease
• * Must be outside prior radiated field or area of prior surgical resection or new lesion must be present
• No known brain metastases
• PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:
• Age:
• 18 and over
• Performance status:
• Zubrod 0-1
• Life expectancy:
• Not specified
• Hematopoietic:
• Absolute granulocyte count at least 1,500/mm\^3
• Platelet count at least 100,000/mm\^3
• Hemoglobin at least 9 g/dL
• Hepatic:
• Bilirubin no greater than 2 times upper limit of normal (ULN)
• SGOT or SGPT no greater than 2 times ULN
• Alkaline phosphatase no greater than 2 times ULN
• Renal:
• Creatinine no greater than ULN
• Creatinine clearance at least 50 mL/min
• Other:
• Not pregnant or nursing
• Fertile patients must use effective contraception
• No peripheral neuropathy (motor or sensory) of grade 2 or greater
• No other malignancy within the past 5 years except adequately treated basal cell or squamous cell skin cancer, carcinoma in situ of the cervix, or stage I/II cancer in complete remission
• PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:
• Biologic therapy:
• No prior biologic therapy for NSCLC
• Chemotherapy:
• No prior systemic chemotherapy for NSCLC
• Endocrine therapy:
• Not specified
• Radiotherapy:
• See Disease Characteristics
• At least 3 weeks since prior radiotherapy and recovered
• No concurrent radiotherapy
• Surgery:
• See Disease Characteristics
• At least 2 weeks since prior thoracic or other major surgery and recovered