Docetaxel and Cisplatin in Treating Patients With Stage III or Stage IV Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer

You may be eligible if

• DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:
• Histologically or cytologically confirmed non-small cell lung cancer, meeting 1 of the following stage criteria:
• * Stage IIIB disease with malignant pericardial or malignant pleural effusions, as indicated by 1 of the following:
• * Positive cytology
• * Exudative effusion AND lactic dehydrogenase (LDH) \> 200 IU with effusion/serum LDH ratio ≥ 0.6
• * Stage IV disease
• Measurable disease, defined as ≥ 1 unidimensionally measurable lesion \> 20 mm by conventional techniques OR \> 10 mm by spiral CT scan
• Brain metastases allowed provided they have been irradiated AND are radiographically stable for ≥ 28 days after the completion of radiotherapy
• PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:
• Age
• 18 and over
• Performance status
• ECOG 0-1
• Life expectancy
• At least 12 weeks
• Hematopoietic
• Absolute neutrophil count ≥ 1,500/mm\^3
• Platelet count ≥ 100,000/mm\^3
• Hemoglobin ≥ 8.0 g/dL
• Hepatic
• AST and ALT normal
• Bilirubin normal
• Renal
• Creatinine clearance ≥ 50 mL/min
• Immunologic
• No known HIV positivity
• No history of severe hypersensitivity reaction to docetaxel or other drugs formulated with polysorbate 80
• No clinically significant active infection
• Other
• Not pregnant or nursing
• Fertile patients must use effective contraception before, during, and for 4 weeks after completion of study treatment
• No other primary malignancy within the past 5 years except adequately treated nonmelanoma skin cancer or carcinoma in situ of the cervix
• No other serious systemic disorder that would preclude study participation
• No other condition that would preclude study compliance
• PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:
• Biologic therapy
• Prior antibody-based therapy that targets growth factor pathways (e.g., epidermal growth factor receptor \[EGFR\]) allowed provided there is disease progression during therapy and patient has recovered
• No concurrent immunotherapy
• No concurrent prophylactic colony-stimulating factors
• No concurrent interleukin-11
• Chemotherapy
• No prior cytotoxic chemotherapy
• No other concurrent chemotherapy
• Endocrine therapy
• No concurrent hormonal therapy for the malignancy
• Radiotherapy
• See Disease Characteristics
• More than 28 days since prior radiotherapy and recovered
• No prior radiotherapy to ≥ 25% of the bone marrow
• No prior radiotherapy to sites of measurable disease unless there is documented tumor progression after completion of radiotherapy
• No concurrent radiotherapy
• Surgery
• No concurrent surgery for the malignancy
• Other
• More than 3 weeks since prior investigational drugs
• Prior oral small molecule drug therapy that targets growth factor pathways (e.g., EGFR) allowed provided there is disease progression during therapy and patient has recovered
• No other concurrent investigational or commercial agents or therapies for the malignancy