Pemetrexed Disodium and Carboplatin in Treating Patients With Extensive-Stage Small Cell Lung Cancer

You may be eligible if

• DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:
• Histologically or cytologically confirmed small cell lung cancer
• * Previously untreated disease
• * No mixed histology
• Extensive-stage disease
• * Clinically significant effusions (e.g., symptomatic pleural effusion) must be drained prior to treatment
• Measurable disease, defined as ≥ 1 unidimensionally measurable lesion ≥ 20 mm by conventional techniques OR ≥ 10 mm by spiral CT scan
• No symptomatic, untreated, or uncontrolled CNS metastases
• * CNS metastases previously treated with whole-brain radiotherapy allowed
• PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:
• Age
• 18 and over
• Performance status
• ECOG 0-2
• Life expectancy
• At least 12 weeks
• Hematopoietic
• Absolute neutrophil count ≥ 1,500/mm\^3
• Platelet count ≥ 100,000/mm\^3
• Hemoglobin ≥ 9.0 g/dL
• Hepatic
• Total bilirubin ≤ 1.5 times upper limit of normal (ULN) OR
• Direct bilirubin normal
• ALT and AST ≤ 3 times ULN (5 times ULN if there is liver involvement)
• Renal
• Creatinine clearance ≥ 45 mL/min
• Cardiovascular
• No angina pectoris
• No congestive heart failure within the past 3 months, unless ejection fraction \> 40%
• No cardiac arrhythmia
• No myocardial infarction within the past 3 months
• No hypertension, including labile hypertension
• Pulmonary
• No interstitial pneumonia
• No extensive and symptomatic interstitial fibrosis of the lung
• Other
• Not pregnant or nursing
• Negative pregnancy test
• Fertile patients must use effective contraception
• No history of poor compliance with antihypertensive medication
• Able to take folic acid, cyanocobalamin (vitamin B\_12) supplementation, or dexamethasone
• No uncontrolled diabetes
• No serious condition that would preclude study participation
• No clinically significant infection
• No significant traumatic injury
• No other malignancy within the past 5 years except carcinoma in situ of the cervix or nonmelanoma skin cancer
• * Low-grade (Gleason score ≤ 6), localized prostate cancer allowed even if diagnosed \< 5 years prior to study entry
• No seizure disorder
• No other severe and/or uncontrolled medical condition
• PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:
• Biologic therapy
• No concurrent immunotherapy
• No concurrent immunomodulating agents
• Chemotherapy
• No other concurrent chemotherapy
• Endocrine therapy
• No concurrent hormonal therapy
• Radiotherapy
• See Disease Characteristics
• Prior palliative radiotherapy allowed
• * No prior palliative radiotherapy to the chest except for ≤ 3 fractions for superior vena cava syndrome
• No concurrent radiotherapy
• Surgery
• More than 4 weeks since prior major surgery\* (i.e., laparotomy) or open biopsy
• More than 2 weeks since prior minor surgery\* NOTE: \*Insertion of a vascular access device is not considered major or minor surgery
• Other
• More than 4 weeks since prior investigational therapy
• No concurrent Hypericum perforatum (St. John's wort)
• No concurrent inducers or inhibitors of CYP3A4
• No concurrent medications that are metabolized by CYP3A4
• No aspirin dose ≥ 1.3 grams per day for ≥ 10 days prior to and after study treatment
• No other concurrent cytostatic or cytotoxic agents