S0526: Pemetrexed Disodium in Treating Patients With Stage III or Stage IV Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer

You may be eligible if

• DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:
• Histologically confirmed bronchoalveolar carcinoma (BAC) or BAC variants such as adenocarcinoma with BAC features or BAC with invasive adenocarcinoma
• * Cytology specimens, such as bronchial brushings, washings, or fine needle aspiration specimens alone are not acceptable for diagnosis
• Stage IV disease OR selected stage IIIB (T4 \[secondary to malignant pleural effusion only\], any N, M0) disease
• Incompletely resected or unresectable disease
• Pleural effusions, ascites, or laboratory parameters cannot be only evidence of disease
• Measurable disease or nonmeasurable disease documented by CT scan
• No known brain metastases
• PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:
• Bilirubin ≤ 1.5 times upper limit of normal (ULN)
• SGOT and SGPT ≤ 2.5 times ULN ( ≤ 5 times ULN if due to liver metastases)
• Alkaline phosphatase ≤ 2.5 times ULN ( ≤ 5 times ULN if due to bone metastases)
• Creatinine clearance ≥ 45 mL/min OR creatinine ≤ 1.5 times ULN
• Absolute neutrophil count ≥ 1,500/mm\^3
• Platelet count ≥ 75,000/mm³
• Zubrod 0-2
• No history of allergic reaction to compounds of similar chemical or biological composition as pemetrexed disodium
• Must provide smoking history
• No other malignancy within the past 5 years except adequately treated basal cell or squamous cell skin cancer, carcinoma in situ of the cervix, or adequately treated stage I or II cancer in complete remission
• Not pregnant or nursing
• Fertile patients must use effective contraception
• Able to swallow pills
• PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:
• No more than 2 prior systemic therapies (including epidermal growth factor receptor inhibitor)
• At least 28 days since prior systemic therapy
• Patients treated with prior erlotinib or gefitinib must have shown progression since treatment
• No prior pemetrexed disodium
• At least 28 days since prior radiotherapy and recovered
• * Must have measurable or nonmeasurable disease outside previously irradiated area or a new lesion within previously irradiated area
• At least 14 days since prior palliative radiotherapy and recovered
• At least 28 days since prior thoracic or major surgery and recovered
• No concurrent surgery
• No other concurrent therapy (hormonal, biologic or radiotherapy) for this disease
• No concurrent antiretroviral therapy
• Patients should discontinue non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) with longer half lives (etodolac, ketordac, sulindac, naproxen, naproxen sodium, oxaprozin, nabumetone, diflunisal, salsalate, celecoxib, rofecoxib, valdecoxib, meloxicam, piroxicam) at least 5 days before and for 2 days following pemetrexed treatment