RATIONALE: Imaging procedures, such as fludeoxyglucose F18 positron emission tomography (^18FDG-PET), may improve the ability to detect disease progression and help doctors predict a patient's response to treatment and plan more effective treatment.

PURPOSE: This phase II trial is studying how well ^18FDG-PET imaging works in detecting disease progression and determining response to treatment in patients who are undergoing chemoradiotherapy for locally advanced non-small cell lung cancer.

OBJECTIVES:

Primary

• Determine whether peak standardized uptake value (SUV) for fludeoxyglucose F 18 positron emission tomography (FDG-PET) shortly after definitive chemoradiotherapy is predictive of long-term survival of patients with inoperable stage IIB or III non-small cell lung cancer.

Secondary

• Determine whether max SUV for FDG-PET shortly after definitive chemoradiotherapy is predictive of long-term survival in these patients.
• Determine whether post-treatment imaging using peak and max SUV for FDG-PET shortly after definitive chemoradiotherapy is predictive of local disease control in these patients.
• Determine whether pre-treatment imaging using these techniques is predictive of long-term survival and local disease control in these patients.
• Correlate, if possible, Ki-67 expression with overall survival of patients assessed with these imaging techniques.

OUTLINE: This is a diagnostic, multicenter study.

Before starting chemoradiotherapy, patients undergo baseline whole-body positron emission tomography (PET) imaging. Patients receive fludeoxyglucose F 18 (^18FDG) IV followed 50-70 minutes later by PET imaging. Patients then receive concurrent definitive radiotherapy and chemotherapy. Patients enrolled in other treatment-oriented clinical trials receive therapy as per that trial. Other patients receive standard thoracic radiotherapy (dose ≥ 60 Gy) and standard chemotherapy comprising a platin (cisplatin or carboplatin) and a second non-platin, non-gemcitabine drug (etoposide, vinblastine, vinorelbine, paclitaxel, or docetaxel). Approximately 14 weeks after completion of chemoradiotherapy and adjuvant chemotherapy (if given), patients undergo post-treatment ^18FDG-PET imaging.

Patients are followed every 3 months for 2 years and then every 6 months for at least 1 year.

PROJECTED ACCRUAL: A total of 250 patients (including at least 75 with stage IIB/IIIA disease and at least 75 with stage IIIB disease) will be accrued for this study within 2 years.

DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:

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

  • Clinical stage IIB or III disease
  • No small cell carcinoma
  • No stage IV disease*
  • No diffuse bronchoalveolar subtype
  • No planned definitive surgical resection NOTE: *Patients with evidence of stage IV disease by positron emission tomography are eligible if the evidence cannot be confirmed by other means AND the physician still plans to proceed with definitive chemoradiation

• Planning treatment with definitive chemoradiotherapy

  • May be treated on another Radiation Therapy Oncology Group protocol (except phase I studies) OR with conventional concurrent NSCLC chemoradiotherapy
  • Radiotherapy ≥ 60 Gy AND chemotherapy to include concurrent platinum-based therapy

• No brain metastases by head CT scan or MRI

PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:

Age

• 18 and over

Performance status

• Zubrod 0-1

Life expectancy

• Not specified

Hematopoietic

• Not specified

Hepatic

• Not specified

Renal

• Not specified

Other

• Medically suitable for early concurrent chemoradiotherapy (radiotherapy dose ≥ 60 Gy)
• Able to tolerate positron emission tomography imaging
• No poorly controlled diabetes (defined as fasting glucose level > 200 mg/dL)
• No other malignancy within the past 3 years except basal cell or squamous cell skin cancer or carcinoma in situ
• Not pregnant or nursing
• Negative pregnancy test
• Fertile patients must use effective contraception during and for 3 months after study participation

PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:

Biologic therapy

• No anticipated use of adjuvant biologic therapy beyond 14 weeks after the completion of radiotherapy

Chemotherapy

• See Disease Characteristics
• No anticipated use of adjuvant chemotherapy beyond 14 weeks after the completion of radiotherapy

Endocrine therapy

• Not specified

Radiotherapy

• See Disease Characteristics
• No prior thoracic radiotherapy
• No concurrent intensity-modulated radiotherapy

Surgery

• See Disease Characteristics