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 chemotherapy and radiation therapy may kill more tumor cells.

PURPOSE: This phase I/II trial is studying the side effects and best dose of radiation therapy when given with combination chemotherapy and to see how well they work in treating patients with non-small cell lung cancer that cannot be surgically removed.

OBJECTIVES:

• Determine the maximum tolerated dose of radiotherapy in combination with carboplatin and paclitaxel in patients with unresectable non-small cell lung cancer.
• Determine the 2-year survival of patients treated with this regimen.
• Determine the progression-free local control rate in patients treated this regimen.
• Determine the tolerability of this regimen in these patients.
• Assess the quality of life of patients treated with this regimen.

OUTLINE: This is a multicenter, dose-escalation study of radiotherapy.

Patients undergo radiotherapy* once daily 5 days a week for 7 weeks and 2 days (a total of 37 fractions). Patients concurrently receive paclitaxel IV over 3 hours and carboplatin IV over 30 minutes once weekly for 7 weeks. Treatment continues in the absence of disease progression or unacceptable toxicity.

NOTE: *No prophylactic nodal radiotherapy is administered

Cohorts of 3-6 patients receive escalating doses of radiotherapy until the maximum tolerated dose (MTD) is determined. The MTD is defined as the dose preceding that at which at least 2 of 3 or 2 of 6 patients experience dose-limiting toxicity. Once the MTD is determined, 12 additional patients are treated at that dose level in the phase II portion of the study.

Beginning 3 weeks after completion of radiotherapy, patients receive paclitaxel and carboplatin as above. Treatment repeats every 21 days for 3 courses in the absence of disease progression or unacceptable toxicity.

Quality of life is assessed at baseline, once during the last week of radiotherapy, and then every 3 months for 2 years.

Patients are followed at 3 weeks, every 3 months for 21 months, and then every 6 months for 3 years.

PROJECTED ACCRUAL: A total of 90 patients will be accrued for this study.

DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:

• Histologically or cytologically confirmed non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC)

  • Stage I, II, or III NSCLC that is unresectable due to tumor extent or other medical reasons

• Measurable disease

• Tumor must not exceed volume that would require radiation volumes greater than those allowed on this study

• No more than blunting of the costophrenic angle on chest x-ray due to pleural effusions

• No more than small effusions seen on chest CT scan only

• No supraclavicular adenopathy

PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:

Age:

• 18 and over

Performance status:

• ECOG 0-1

Life expectancy:

• At least 12 weeks

Hematopoietic:

• Absolute neutrophil count at least 1,500/mm^3
• Platelet count at least 100,000/mm^3

Hepatic:

• Total bilirubin no greater than 1.5 times upper limit of normal (ULN) OR
• Direct bilirubin no greater than 1.5 times ULN
• AST no greater than 3 times ULN

Renal:

• Creatinine clearance at least 40 mL/min

Cardiovascular:

• No New York Heart Association class III or IV heart disease

Pulmonary:

• FEV_1 at least 1 L or 35% of predicted

Other:

• No grade 2 or greater peripheral neuropathy
• No weight loss of 10% or more within the past 3 months
• No uncontrolled infection
• No other malignancy within the past 5 years except adequately treated basal cell or squamous cell skin cancer, adequately treated noninvasive carcinoma (carcinoma in situ), or localized prostate cancer
• No other severe underlying disease that would preclude study participation
• Not pregnant or nursing
• Negative pregnancy test
• Fertile patients must use effective contraception

PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:

Biologic:

• No prior biologic therapy for NSCLC
• No concurrent biologic therapy
• No concurrent prophylactic filgrastim (G-CSF)

Chemotherapy:

• No prior chemotherapy for NSCLC
• No other concurrent chemotherapy

Endocrine therapy:

• No prior endocrine therapy for NSCLC

Radiotherapy:

• No prior radiotherapy for NSCLC

Surgery:

• No prior surgery for NSCLC