Gemcitabine and Carboplatin With or Without AZD2171 as First-Line Therapy in Treating Patients With Stage IIIB or Stage IV Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer

You may be eligible if

• DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:
• Histologically or cytologically confirmed non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC)
• * Squamous cell histology allowed
• * No mixed histology with small cell component
• Stage IIIB (with pleural effusion) or stage IV disease
• * Presence of peritoneal or pericardial effusion alone in the absence of cytologic evidence is not allowed
• Measurable disease, defined as ≥ 1 lesion with longest diameter ≥ 2.0 cm by conventional techniques OR ≥ 1.0 cm by spiral CT scan
• * If the only site of measurable disease was previously irradiated, progressive disease must be evident
• Ineligible for bevacizumab therapy
• No symptomatic, untreated, or uncontrolled CNS metastases
• * CNS metastases treated with whole-brain radiation (WBRT) allowed 4 weeks after completion of WBRT
• PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:
• ECOG performance status 0-1
• Life expectancy ≥ 12 weeks
• Absolute neutrophil count ≥ 1,500/mm\^3
• Hemoglobin ≥ 9 g/dL
• Platelet count ≥ 100,000/mm\^3
• Bilirubin ≤ 3 times upper limit of normal (ULN)
• ALT and AST ≤ 3 times ULN (5 times ULN if liver involvement)
• Alkaline phosphatase ≤ 5 times ULN
• Not pregnant or nursing
• Negative pregnancy test
• Fertile patients must use effective nonhormonal contraception
• No proteinuria ≥ 1+
• No uncontrolled blood pressure (BP), defined as systolic BP \> 150 mm Hg and/or diastolic BP \> 100 mm Hg in spite of adequate antihypertensive therapy
• No impairment of gastrointestinal function or gastrointestinal disease that may significantly alter the absorption of AZD2171 (e.g., ulcerative disease, uncontrolled nausea, vomiting, or diarrhea, malabsorption syndrome, or small bowel resection)
• No seizure disorder
• No significant traumatic injury within 4 weeks prior to study entry
• No second primary malignancy except any of the following:
• * Carcinoma in situ of the cervix
• * Nonmelanoma skin cancer
• * Prior malignancy diagnosed and definitively treated ≥ 5 years ago with no subsequent evidence of recurrence
• * History of low-grade (Gleason score ≤ 6) localized prostate cancer even if diagnosed \< 5 years prior to registration
• * Treated stage I breast cancer ≤ 5 years prior to registration
• No uncontrolled intercurrent illness, including, but not limited to, any of the following:
• * Ongoing or active infection
• * Significant pulmonary symptoms at baseline due to disease
• * Symptomatic congestive heart failure
• * Unstable angina pectoris
• * Cardiac arrhythmia
• * Psychiatric illness or social situation that would limit compliance with study requirements
• * Baseline hemoptysis
• * Cavitating lesions
• No QTc prolongation \> 500 msec or other significant ECG abnormality within the past 14 days
• No New York Heart Association class III or IV disease
• PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:
• See Disease Characteristics
• No prior chemotherapy for advanced lung cancer
• * Neoadjuvant or adjuvant therapy for lung cancer within the past 12 months allowed
• More than 12 months since prior immunotherapy and biologic therapy
• More than 4 weeks since prior radiotherapy (2 weeks for palliative radiotherapy to skeletal metastases)
• At least 2 weeks since prior WBRT
• No radiotherapy to ≥ 25% of bone marrow
• No major surgery (i.e., laparotomy) or open biopsy within 4 weeks prior to study entry (2 weeks for minor surgery)
• * Insertion of a vascular access device not considered major or minor surgery
• No concurrent combination antiretroviral therapy for HIV-positive patients
• No concurrent grapefruit or grapefruit juice during AZD2171 treatment
• No concurrent drugs or biologics with proarrhythmic potential
• Concurrent palliative radiotherapy to nontarget sites (i.e., painful pre-existing bony metastasis) allowed with AZD2171 (chemotherapy is held until completion of radiotherapy)