Combination Chemotherapy in Treating Patients With Advanced Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer

You may be eligible if

• DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:
• Histologically confirmed non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC)
• * Unresectable stage IIIB (e.g., pleural effusion) not suitable for combined modality therapy OR
• * Stage IV
• Prior brain metastases are allowed provided the following are true:
• * Patient completed radiotherapy and/or surgery at least 3 weeks prior to study
• * Objective evidence of resolution or significant improvement of brain lesions exists on follow-up CT scan or MRI
• * Patient is neurologically improved or stable
• PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:
• Age:
• 18 and over
• Performance status:
• ECOG 0-1
• Life expectancy:
• Not specified
• Hematopoietic:
• Absolute granulocyte count at least 1,500/mm\^3
• WBC at least 3,000/mm\^3
• Hemoglobin at least 9 g/L
• Platelet count at least 100,000/mm\^3
• Hepatic:
• Bilirubin no greater than 1.25 mg/dL
• SGOT no greater than 1.5 times upper limit of normal
• Renal:
• Creatinine no greater than 2.0 mg/dL OR
• Creatinine clearance at least 50 mL/min
• Cardiovascular:
• No prior uncontrolled cardiovascular disease
• No hospitalization for acute myocardial infarction, arrhythmia, or congestive heart failure within the past 3 months
• Other:
• Not pregnant or nursing
• Negative pregnancy test
• Fertile patients must use effective nonhormonal contraception
• No serious active infection
• No dementia or active psychoses
• No other prior malignancy except nonmetastatic nonmelanoma skin cancer, carcinoma in situ of the cervix, or cancer curatively treated with surgery or small-field radiotherapy within the past 5 years
• PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:
• Biologic therapy:
• Not specified
• Chemotherapy:
• No prior chemotherapy
• Endocrine therapy:
• Not specified
• Radiotherapy:
• See Disease Characteristics
• At least 3 weeks since prior radiotherapy
• Surgery:
• See Disease Characteristics
• Other:
• At least 1 month since prior investigational agents
• More than 7 days since prior aspirin, sulindac, cyclo-oxygenase-2 (COX-2) inhibitors, or nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (except ibuprofen or naproxen)
• No concurrent sulindac or COX-2 inhibitors