Tipifarnib Plus Radiation Therapy After Combination Chemotherapy in Treating Patients With Stage III Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer

OBJECTIVES: * Determine the maximum tolerated dose and dose-limiting toxicity of tipifarnib given concurrently with radiotherapy after induction chemotherapy comprising paclitaxel and carboplatin and followed by maintenance therapy with tipifarnib in patients with stage IIIA or IIIB non-small cell lung cancer. * Determine the tumor response at 3 months in patients treated with this regimen. OUTLINE: This is multicenter, dose-escalation study of tipifarnib. Patients receive induction chemotherapy comprising carboplatin IV over 30 minutes on day 1 and paclitaxel IV over 1 hour on days 1, 8, and 15. Treatment repeats every 28 days for 2 courses. Beginning 4-6 weeks after the completion of induction chemotherapy, patients receive oral tipifarnib twice daily for 7 weeks. Patients undergo radiotherapy once daily 5 days a week for 7 weeks beginning 3 days after the start of tipifarnib. After completion of radiotherapy, patients receive oral tipifarnib twice daily for 4 days and then once daily for 4 days. Cohorts of 3-6 patients receive escalating doses of tipifarnib while receiving radiotherapy until the maximum tolerated dose (MTD) is determined. The MTD is defined as the dose preceding that at which at least 2 of 3 or 2 of 6 patients experience dose-limiting toxicity. Beginning 4-6 weeks after the completion of radiotherapy and tipifarnib, patients receive maintenance therapy comprising oral tipifarnib twice daily on days 1-21. Maintenance therapy repeats every 28 days in the absence of disease progression or unacceptable toxicity. Patients are followed at 3, 6, and 12 months. PROJECTED ACCRUAL: Approximately 9-12 patients will be accrued for this study within 1 year.