RATIONALE: Drugs used in chemotherapy use different ways to stop tumor cells from dividing so they stop growing or die. Radiation therapy uses high-energy x-rays to damage tumor cells. Combining more than one drug and giving them before and with radiation therapy may be an effective treatment for limited-stage small cell lung cancer.

PURPOSE: Phase II trial to study the effectiveness of chemotherapy plus radiation therapy in treating patients who have limited-stage small cell lung cancer.

OBJECTIVES: I. Determine the complete response rate to 2 courses of paclitaxel and topotecan followed by consolidation chemoradiotherapy in patients with limited stage small cell lung cancer. II. Determine the toxic effects of this regimen in this patient population. III. Describe the pattern of relapse, documenting carefully the location of relapse with respect to the original disease volume and the radiation treatment field in these patients. IV. Determine the overall and failure free survival of these patients.

OUTLINE: Patients receive topotecan IV on days 1-5 and paclitaxel IV over 3 hours on day 1. Filgrastim (G-CSF) is administered subcutaneously every day starting on day 6 until blood counts recover. The course is repeated once beginning on day 22. After restaging, patients begin thoracic radiotherapy daily, five days per week, for 6-7 weeks. On the same day that radiotherapy begins, patients receive carboplatin IV over 1 hour (day 43) and etoposide IV over 1 hour daily for 3 days (days 43-45). The consolidation chemotherapy is repeated every 21 days for a total of 3 courses. Patients with stable or responding disease undergo prophylactic cranial irradiation. Patients are followed at least every 3 months for 2 years, every 6 months for 3 years, and then at least every year.

PROJECTED ACCRUAL: A total of 70 patients will be accrued for this study within 15-18 months.

DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS: Histologically or cytologically confirmed limited stage small cell lung cancer Includes disease restricted to one hemithorax with regional lymph node metastases, including hilar, ipsilateral and contralateral mediastinal lymph nodes Clinically suspected or confirmed supraclavicular lymph node metastases and pleural effusions that are visible on plain chest radiographs, whether cytologically positive or not, are not eligible Unidimensionally or bidimensionally measurable disease

PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS: Age: 18 and over Performance status: ECOG 0-2 Life expectancy: Not specified Hematopoietic: Granulocyte count at least 1,500/mm3 Platelet count at least 100,000/mm3 Hepatic: Bilirubin less than 1.5 mg/dL SGOT less than 2 times upper limit of normal (ULN) Renal: Creatinine no greater than ULN Other: Not pregnant or nursing Fertile patients must use effective contraception No concurrent active second malignancy except nonmelanoma skin cancer (i.e., completed therapy and considered to be at less than 30% risk of relapse)

PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY: Biologic therapy: Not specified Chemotherapy: No prior chemotherapy for small cell lung cancer No other concurrent chemotherapy Endocrine therapy: No concurrent steroids except for adrenal failure No concurrent hormones except for nondisease related conditions (e.g., insulin for diabetes) No concurrent dexamethasone except for intermittent use as an antiemetic or as an adjunct to prophylactic cranial irradiation Radiotherapy: No prior mediastinal radiotherapy Surgery: Not specified