Chemotherapy and Radiation Therapy With or Without Panitumumab in Treating Patients With Stage IIIA Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer

DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:

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

Adenocarcinoma
Adenosquamous
Large cell carcinoma
Squamous cell carcinoma
Non-lobar and non-diffuse bronchoalveolar cell carcinoma
NSCLC not otherwise specified NOTE: *Documentation of NSCLC may originate from the mediastinal node biopsy or aspiration

Stage IIIA (T1-T3) disease with a single primary lung parenchymal lesion AND positive ipsilateral mediastinal node or nodes (N2) with or without positive ipsilateral hilar nodes (N1)

N2 nodes must be separate from primary tumor by either CT scan or surgical exploration
Maximum nodal diameter of involved N2 nodes cannot exceed 3.0 cm

N2 status must be pathologically confirmed to be positive by one of the following methods*:

Mediastinoscopy
Mediastinotomy (Chamberlain procedure)
Transesophageal needle biopsy using endoscopic ultrasound (EUS-TBNA)
Endobronchial ultrasound biopsy using endoscopic ultrasound guidance (EBUS-TBNA)
Thoracotomy
Video-assisted thoracoscopy
Transbronchial needle biopsy by Wang technique (TBNA)
Fine-needle aspiration under CT guidance NOTE: *PET positivity in the ipsilateral mediastinal lymph nodes is not sufficient to establish N2 nodal status

Ipsilateral mediastinal nodes associated with right-sided tumor must be biopsied unless all of the following are true:

Tumor is left sided
Paralyzed left true vocal cord documented by bronchoscopy or indirect laryngoscopy
Nodes visible in the anterior/posterior (level 5) region on CT scan
Distinct primary tumor separate from nodes visible on CT scan
Histologic (biopsy) or cytologic (needle aspiration or sputum) proof of non-small cell histology from the primary tumor
If lymph nodes in the contralateral mediastinum and neck are visible on contrast CT scan of the chest and are > 1.0 cm in short axis or if contralateral involvement is suggested by PET scan, then the nodes must be confirmed to be negative

Measurable disease as determined by contrast-enhanced CT scan

Primary lung tumor distinct from mediastinal lymph nodes

If a pleural effusion is present, the following criteria must be met to exclude malignant involvement (incurable M1a disease):

When pleural fluid is visible on both the CT scan and on a chest x-ray, a pleuracentesis is required to confirm that the pleural fluid is cytologically negative.
Exudative pleural effusions are excluded, regardless of cytology;
Effusions that are minimal (i.e. not visible under ultrasound guidance) that are too small to safely tap are eligible.
No palpable lymph nodes in the supraclavicular areas or higher in the neck, unless proven to be benign by fine-needle aspiration or biopsy
No distant metastases

PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:

Zubrod performance status 0-1
Absolute neutrophil count (ANC) ≥ 1,500/mm³
Platelet count ≥ 100,000/mm³
Hemoglobin ≥ 10.0 g/dL (transfusion allowed)
Creatinine clearance ≥ 60 mL/min
Total bilirubin ≤ 1.5 times upper limit of normal (ULN)
Alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and aspartate aminotransferase (AST) ≤ 2.5 times ULN
Alkaline phosphatase ≤ 2.5 times ULN
Serum albumin > 3.0 g/dL
Serum magnesium normal (supplementation allowed)
Not pregnant
Negative pregnancy test
Fertile patients must use effective contraception during and for 6 months after completion of treatment
Forced expiratory volume at one second (FEV1) ≥ 2.0 L OR predicted post-resection FEV1 ≥ 0.8 L
Diffusion capacity ≥ 50% predicted
No other invasive malignancy within the past 3 years, except nonmelanoma skin cancer or carcinoma in situ of the breast, oral cavity, or cervix

No severe, active co-morbidity, including any of the following:

Current uncontrolled cardiac disease (e.g., uncontrolled hypertension, unstable angina, myocardial infarction within the past 6 months, uncontrolled congestive heart failure, or cardiomyopathy with decreased ejection fraction (<50%)
Acute bacterial or fungal infection requiring IV antibiotics
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease exacerbation or other respiratory illness requiring hospitalization or that would preclude study therapy within the past 4 weeks
Hepatic insufficiency resulting in clinical jaundice and/or coagulation defects
AIDS or known HIV positivity
No unintentional weight loss ≥ 5% of body weight within the past 6 months
No prior severe infusion reaction to a monoclonal antibody
No pre-existing peripheral neuropathy ≥ grade 2

PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:

No prior systemic chemotherapy or biological therapy (including erlotinib hydrochloride or similar agents) for the study cancer

Prior chemotherapy for a different cancer allowed
No prior radiotherapy to the region of the study cancer that would result in overlap of radiotherapy fields
No prior therapy that specifically and directly targets the EGFR pathway