RATIONALE: Drugs used in chemotherapy use different ways to stop tumor cells from dividing so they stop growing or die. It is not known whether giving chemotherapy in addition to standard therapy is a more effective treatment for lung cancer.

PURPOSE: Randomized phase III trial to compare the effectiveness of standard therapy given with or without combination chemotherapy in treating patients with non-small cell lung cancer.

OBJECTIVES: I. Assess whether the addition of cisplatin-based chemotherapy to standard treatment improves survival in patients with non-small cell lung cancer.

OUTLINE: This is a randomized study. Patients are randomized to 1 of 2 treatment arms. Arm I: Patients undergo primary surgery, radical radiotherapy, radiotherapy with surgery, or best supportive care. Arm II: Patients undergo treatment as in arm I. Beginning within 10 weeks after surgery or radical radiotherapy or as soon as possible after diagnosis, patients receive 1 of the following regimens: Regimen A: Patients receive cisplatin IV on day 1 followed by vindesine on days 1 and 8. Regimen B: Patients receive mitomycin, ifosfamide, and cisplatin on day 1. Regimen C: Patients receive mitomycin, vinblastine, and cisplatin on day 1. Regimen D: Patients receive vinorelbine on days 1 and 8 and cisplatin on day 1. Treatment in all 4 regimens repeats every 3 weeks for 3 courses. Patients are followed at 3 months, 6 months, 1 year, and then annually thereafter.

PROJECTED ACCRUAL: A total of 1,800 patients will be accrued for this study within 3 years.

DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS: Histologically confirmed non-small cell lung cancer being treated with primary surgery, radical radiotherapy, surgery plus radiotherapy, or best supportive care

PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS: Age: Adult Performance status: Not specified Life expectancy: Not specified Hematopoietic: Not specified Hepatic: Not specified Renal: No inadequate renal function Other: No other prior or concurrent malignancy within the past 3 years except nonmelanoma skin cancer Must be fit enough to receive therapy

PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY: Biologic therapy: Not specified Chemotherapy: No prior chemotherapy Endocrine therapy: Not specified Radiotherapy: See Disease Characteristics Prior radical radiotherapy allowed Surgery: See Disease Characteristics Prior surgery allowed