Radiation Therapy and Ammonium Tetrathiomolybdate in Treating Patients With Stage I, Stage II, or Stage III Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer

You may be eligible if

• DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:
• Histologically or cytologically confirmed non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) meeting the following criteria:
• * Squamous, large cell undifferentiated, or adenocarcinoma
• * Sputum cytology not acceptable evidence of cell type
• * Cytologic specimens obtained by brushing, washing, or needle aspiration of a defined lesion allowed
• * Stage I-IIIB disease
• * No evidence of distant metastases
• Planning to receive definitive radiotherapy alone or post-operative radiotherapy (for gross residual disease or positive margin)
• Medically inoperable disease or chemotherapy or surgery refused
• Mediastinal lymph nodes must be evaluated by either mediastinoscopy or by PET scan, unless definitive CT-positive mediastinal disease is noted
• * If patient cannot tolerate mediastinoscopy and no PET is available, the technetium 99m sestamibi scan is allowed for assessment of the mediastinum
• No stage IIIB disease with pleural effusions or stage IV disease
• No small cell lung cancer or mixed small cell/non-small cell histology
• PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:
• SWOG performance status 0-2
• Hemoglobin ≥ 9.0 g/dL
• WBC ≥ 3,000/mm³
• ANC ≥ 1,200/mm³
• Platelet count ≥ 80,000/mm³
• Creatinine \< 1.8 mg/dL
• Prior malignancy allowed if disease free for ≥ 5 years
• * Nonmelanoma skin cancer allowed within 5 years
• Not pregnant or nursing
• Negative pregnancy test
• Fertile patients must use effective contraception
• No grade 3 hemoptysis (or hemoptysis not requiring transfusion, but where the radiation oncologist has concerns about a 3-week delay in treatment)
• No pneumonia due to bronchial obstruction (or a high-grade bronchial obstruction where the radiation oncologist has concerns about a 3-week delay in treatment)
• No transfusion dependence requiring \> 2 units of packed RBCs every 2 weeks for more than 28 days
• No medically serious acute or chronic medical condition that is unstable and/or requires intensive management
• PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:
• See Disease Characteristics
• Prior thoracic radiation allowed if the new lesion can be treated with absolutely no overlap of previous treatment fields
• At least 3 weeks since prior surgery
• No concurrent chemotherapy