Carboplatin and Paclitaxel Albumin-Stabilized Nanoparticle Formulation Followed by Radiation Therapy and Erlotinib in Treating Patients With Stage III Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer That Cannot Be Removed By Surgery

DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:

Histologically or cytologically confirmed non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), including any of the following histologies:

Squamous cell carcinoma
Adenocarcinoma (including bronchoalveolar cell)
Large cell anaplastic carcinoma (including giant and clear cell carcinomas)

Must meet the following criteria:

T1-3 with N2 and selected N3*
T4 with N0, N1, N2 and selected N3*
M0 (no M1 patients) NOTE: *Patients with contralateral mediastinal disease (i.e., N3) are eligible, provided all gross disease can be encompassed within the radiation boost field in accordance with the homogeneity criteria. Patients with ipsilateral scalene or supraclavicular disease are also eligible. Patients with contralateral hilar or supraclavicular node involvement are not eligible.

Must have measurable disease, defined as ≥ 1 unidimensionally measurable lesion ≥ 20 mm by conventional techniques or ≥ 10 mm by spiral CT scan

Nonmeasurable lesions include the following:

Bone lesions
Leptomeningeal disease
Ascites
Pleural or pericardial effusion
Abdominal masses that are not confirmed and followed by imaging techniques
Cystic lesions
Tumor lesions situated in a previously irradiated area
Patients must be considered unresectable or inoperable AND be deemed candidates for combined modality therapy by a medical oncologist and a radiation oncologist
Considered to be poor-risk with NCI CTC performance status (PS) 2 OR PS 0-1 and ≥ 10% weight loss within the past 3 months
Patients with tumors adjacent to a vertebral body are eligible, provided all gross disease can be encompassed within the radiation boost field in accordance with the homogeneity criteria

Pleural effusions meeting the following criteria allowed:

Effusion is transudate, cytologically negative, and non-bloody
Effusion can be seen on the chest CT scan but not on the chest x-ray AND is too small to tap
Effusion appears only after a thoracotomy or other invasive thoracic procedure was attempted

PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:

See Disease Characteristics
Granulocytes ≥ 1,500/μL
Platelet count ≥ 100,000/μL
Creatinine ≤ 1.5 x upper limit of normal (ULN)
AST < 2 x ULN
Bilirubin ≤ ULN
Not pregnant or nursing
Negative pregnancy test
Fertile patients must use effective contraception

PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:

No prior chemotherapy or radiotherapy for NSCLC
At least 2 weeks since formal exploratory thoracotomy
No concurrent administration of sucralfate suspension and erlotinib hydrochloride
No concurrent intensity-modulated radiotherapy
No concurrent hormones or other chemotherapeutic agents except steroids given for adrenal failure, hormones administered for non-disease-related conditions (e.g., insulin for diabetes), and intermittent use of dexamethasone as an antiemetic
No concurrent palliative radiotherapy