Chemotherapy and Radiation Therapy With or Without Efaproxiral in Treating Patients With Stage III Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer

You may be eligible if

• DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:
• Histologically or cytologically confirmed locally advanced, unresectable non-small cell lung cancer of 1 of the following subtypes:
• * Adenocarcinoma
• * Squamous cell carcinoma
• * Large cell carcinoma
• * Poorly differentiated carcinoma
• Stage IIIA or IIIB
• * T1 or T2, N2
• * T3, N1 or N2
• * T4, any N
• * Any T, N3
• Histological or cytological confirmation of at least 1 positive lymph node required if the largest mediastinal node that is the basis of stage III disease is less than 2.0 cm in diameter
• Clinically or radiologically measurable disease of at least 2.0 cm
• Partially resected stage IIIB disease allowed provided a measurable lesion remains
• No pleural effusion that is bloody, cytologically positive, or re-accumulated after thoracentesis
• No metastatic disease by CT scan or MRI
• PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:
• Age
• 18 and over
• Performance status
• Karnofsky 70-100%
• Life expectancy
• Not specified
• Hematopoietic
• Hemoglobin at least 10 g/dL
• WBC at least 3,000/mm\^3
• Absolute granulocyte count at least 2,000/mm\^3
• Platelet count at least 100,000/mm\^3
• Hepatic
• Bilirubin no greater than 1.5 times upper limit of normal (ULN)
• AST and ALT no greater than 2.5 times ULN
• Renal
• Creatinine no greater than 1.5 mg/dL
• Cardiovascular
• No clinically active congestive heart failure
• No unstable angina
• No severe arrhythmia by ECG
• Pulmonary
• FVC and FEV\_1 at least 50% of normal
• Resting oxygen saturation by pulse oximetry (SpO\_2) at least 90% on room air
• Exercise SpO\_2 at least 90% on room air
• Other
• Not pregnant or nursing
• Negative pregnancy test
• Fertile female patients must use effective contraception during and for 30 days after study therapy
• Male patients must use effective contraception during and for 90 days after study therapy
• No loss of more than 10% of body weight within the past 3 months
• No other malignancy within the past 5 years except nonmelanoma skin cancer or carcinoma in situ of the cervix
• No significantly altered mental status or dementia that would preclude giving informed consent
• No active infection
• No other serious underlying medical condition that would preclude study participation
• PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:
• Biologic therapy
• More than 28 days since prior biologic therapy
• No concurrent colony-stimulating factors (randomized phase only)
• No biologic therapy during and for 1 month after study therapy
• No immune response modifiers during and for 1 month after study therapy
• Chemotherapy
• No prior systemic chemotherapy
• Endocrine therapy
• No hormonal therapy during and for 1 month after study therapy
• Radiotherapy
• No prior thoracic radiotherapy
• Surgery
• See Disease Characteristics
• No prior total surgical resection
• Other
• More than 28 days since prior investigational drugs or devices
• No prior efaproxiral
• No other cytotoxic therapy during and for 1 month after study therapy