Chemotherapy Combined With Radiation Therapy in Treating Patients With Limited-Stage Small Cell Lung Cancer

You may be eligible if

• DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:
• Histologically or cytologically confirmed small cell lung cancer by one of two methods:
• * Fine needle aspiration biopsy
• * Two positive sputa
• Must have limited disease as defined by all of the following:
• * Stage I-IIIB
• * Confined to 1 hemithorax
• * No T4 tumor based on malignant pleural or pericardial effusion
• * Patients with pleural effusion too small to tap under CT guidance and not evident on chest x-ray are allowed
• * No N3 disease based on contralateral hilar or contralateral supraclavicular involvement
• Measurable or evaluable disease
• * Tumor must be able to be encompassed by specified radiotherapy fields without unacceptable risk of serious pulmonary compromise
• No complete tumor resection
• No pericardial effusion (regardless of cytology)
• 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 120,000/mm\^3
• Hepatic
• Bilirubin no greater than 1.5 mg/dL
• No known Gilbert's disease
• Renal
• Creatinine no greater than 1.5 mg/dL
• Cardiovascular
• No myocardial infarction within the past 6 months
• No symptomatic heart disease
• Pulmonary
• Forced expiratory volume (FEV)\_1 at least 1.0 L/sec
• No uncontrolled bronchospasms
• No uncompensated chronic obstructive pulmonary disease
• Other
• Not pregnant or nursing
• Negative pregnancy test
• Fertile patients must use effective contraception
• No pre-existing peripheral neuropathy grade 2 or greater
• No other malignancy within the past 2 years except curatively treated basal or squamous cell skin cancer or carcinoma in situ of the bladder or cervix
• No other concurrent serious medical illness
• PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:
• Biologic therapy
• No prior biologic therapy
• Chemotherapy
• No prior chemotherapy
• Endocrine therapy
• Not specified
• Radiotherapy
• No prior radiotherapy
• No concurrent intensity-modulated radiotherapy
• Surgery
• See Disease Characteristics
• Other
• At least 7 days since prior enzyme-inducing anti-convulsant drugs (EIACDs) (e.g., phenytoin, carbamazepine, or phenobarbital) if used on a regular basis for more than 2 weeks
• * Less than 2 weeks of regular use of EIACDs does not require a 7-day wash-out period
• At least 14 days since prior Hypericum perforatum (St. John's wort)
• No concurrent EIACDs
• No concurrent amifostine during chemoradiotherapy
• Concurrent gabapentin or other non-EIACDs allowed