RATIONALE: Imaging procedures, such as fludeoxyglucose F 18 positron emission tomography (PET) scans, may improve the ability to detect lung and esophageal cancer or their recurrence.

PURPOSE: Phase II/III trial to study the effectiveness of fludeoxyglucose F 18 PET scans in measuring response to induction chemotherapy in patients with esophageal and lung cancer that may be removed by surgery.

OBJECTIVES: I. Determine whether whole body fludeoxyglucose F 18 (F-18 2-fluoro-2-deoxy-D-glucose; FDG) positron emission tomography (PET) can quantitate the response to induction (preoperative) chemotherapy in patients with esophageal or non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) by correlating changes in PET scan images with surgical staging, frequency of complete resection, disease-free survival, and overall survival. II. Correlate PET scan results with the multiple conventional complementary imaging modalities of thoracic and/or abdominal CT, bone scans, and cranial MRI. III. Evaluate the use of PET scanning to uncover disease sites undetected by current imaging modalities.

OUTLINE: This is a nonrandomized study. The choice of chemotherapeutic regimen is at the discretion of the medical oncologist. If the tumor is resectable after treatment with chemotherapy, the patients undergoes the appropriate resection as defined by the thoracic surgeon. All patients have positron emission tomography (PET) scans done within 2 weeks before the first dose of chemotherapy and again about 2-3 weeks after the third or fourth dose of chemotherapy. Patients are asked to not eat or drink 6 hours before coming into the hospital for the PET scan. They are administered an injection of a solution of fluorodeoxyglucose F 18 (FDG) and then undergo a PET scan.

PROJECTED ACCRUAL: An estimated 75 patients (50 lung cancer and 25 esophageal cancer patients) will be accrued into this protocol over 24-30 months.

DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS: Histologically confirmed esophageal or non-small cell lung carcinoma Esophageal cancer: Biopsy proven esophageal carcinoma considered acceptable for curative esophageal resection Lung cancer: Stages IA-IIIB, T(any)N(any)M0 disease without pleural effusion, which constitutes locally advanced lung cancer Must be candidates for induction chemotherapy followed by surgical resection

PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS: Age: 18 and over Performance status: Karnofsky 70-100% Life expectancy: Not specified Hematopoietic: WBC at least 4,000/mm3 Platelet count at least 160,000/mm3 Hepatic: Bilirubin no greater than 1.0 mg/dL Renal: Creatinine no greater than 1.5 mg/dL Creatinine clearance greater than 65 mL/min Other: Not pregnant Adequate contraception required of all fertile female patients

PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY: Biologic therapy: Not specified Chemotherapy: See Disease Characteristics Endocrine therapy: Not specified Radiotherapy: Not specified Surgery: No prior surgical mediastinal staging such as prior mediastinoscopy or Chamberlain procedures See Disease Characteristics