Cerebrospinal Fluid Levels of Erlotinib in Patients Receiving Erlotinib For Stage III Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer

You may be eligible if

• DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:
• Patients must be enrolled in the trial: "A Phase I/II Trial of Neoadjuvant Paclitaxel, Carboplatin and OSI-774 (Tarceva) with Concurrent Accelerated Hyperfractionation Radiation Followed by Maintenance Therapy with OSI-774 for Stage III Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer," Principal Investigator: T. Mekhail, M.D.
• * Patient must be in maintenance therapy phase of the study and have received erlotinib for ≥ 1 week
• No known CNS primary or metastatic cancer at any time prior to time of enrollment
• No MRI evidence of pathological enhancement at the time of study entry
• PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:
• Patients must use adequate birth control measures while in the study
• No significant side effects to erlotinib that require dose reduction or interruption
• None of the following medical issues which could make a lumbar puncture unsafe:
• * Platelets \< 100,000/mm³
• * INR \> 1.1
• * Known bleeding dyscrasia
• * Absolute neutrophil count \< 1,500/mm³
• * Ongoing systemic bacterial infection
• PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:
• Patients on modest or anti-epileptic therapy must be on nonenzyme-inducing drug only, including any of the following:
• * Neurontin
• * Lamictal
• * Depakote, Depakene
• * Felbatol
• * Keppra
• * Gabitril
• * Topimax
• * Zonegran
• No concurrent enzyme-inducing anti-epileptic drugs such as phenytoin, carbamazepine, or phenobarbital
• No concurrent other drug known to affect the metabolism of erlotinib
• No concurrent anticoagulant therapy