Lomustine in Treating Patients With Stage III or Stage IV Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer

You may be eligible if

• DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:
• Histologically confirmed non-small cell bronchogenic carcinoma, including the following histologic subtypes:
• * Squamous cell
• * Adenocarcinoma
• * Adenosquamous
• * Large cell anaplastic
• * Bronchoalveolar
• * Non-small cell carcinoma not otherwise specified (NOS)
• Stage IIIB disease (with a pleural effusion) or stage IV disease
• * Stage IV patients with brain metastases are eligible provided the brain metastases are clinically stable after treatment with surgery and/or radiation therapy
• Tumors must test positive for aberrant methylation of the MGMT gene by methylation-specific polymerase chain reaction
• Bidimensionally measurable or evaluable disease
• PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:
• ECOG performance status 0-2
• No other active malignancies
• WBC ≥ 4,000/mm\^3 OR absolute neutrophil count ≥ 2,000/mm\^3
• Platelet count ≥ 100,000/mm\^3
• Total bilirubin normal
• AST \< 5 times upper limit of normal
• Serum creatinine ≤ 1.5 mg/dL OR creatinine clearance ≥ 60 mL/min
• No uncontrolled serious active infection
• Not pregnant or nursing
• PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:
• See Disease Characteristics
• More than 3 weeks since prior chemotherapy
• No more than 2 prior chemotherapy regimens
• No prior therapy with nitrosoureas
• Recovered from prior radiation therapy