Decitabine in Treating Patients With Unresectable Lung or Esophageal Cancer or Malignant Mesothelioma of the Pleura

DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:

Histologically or cytologically confirmed unresectable primary small cell lung cancer (SCLC) or non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), unresectable esophageal cancer, malignant pleural mesothelioma, or pleural effusions secondary to extrathoracic malignancies
Disease must be readily accessible to biopsy by endoscopy or percutaneous fine-needle aspiration

Extrathoracic metastatic disease allowed if no evidence of active intracranial or leptomeningeal metastases

Patients treated with prior resection or radiotherapy for intracranial metastatic disease may be eligible provided there is no evidence of active disease on two MRIs (taken one month apart) and patients require no anticonvulsant medications or steroids to control residual symptoms
No limited stage SCLC or operable NSCLC

PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:

Age:

18 and over

Performance status:

ECOG 0-2

Life expectancy:

At least 6 months

Hematopoietic:

Platelet count greater than 100,000/mm^3
Hemoglobin greater than 10 g/dL
WBC greater than 3,500/mm^3

Hepatic:

PT normal
Bilirubin less than 1.5 times upper limit of normal

Renal:

Creatinine no greater than 1.6 mg/dL OR
Creatinine clearance greater than 60 mL/min

Cardiovascular:

Any of the following conditions require clearance by a cardiologist:

Prior coronary artery disease
Prior transmural myocardial infarction
Congestive heart failure
Fixed defects on thallium scan with ejection fraction greater than 40%
No unstable angina
No recent deep venous thrombosis requiring anticoagulation

Pulmonary:

FEV1 and DLCO greater than 30% of predicted
pCO_2 less than 50 mm Hg
pO_2 greater than 60 mm Hg on room air
No recent pulmonary embolism requiring anticoagulation

Other:

Not pregnant or nursing
Negative pregnancy test
Fertile patients must use effective contraception
No active infection
HIV negative

PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:

Biologic therapy:

At least 30 days since prior biologic therapy for the malignant tumor

Chemotherapy:

No prior decitabine
At least 30 days since other prior chemotherapy for the malignant tumor

Endocrine therapy:

See Disease Characteristics

Radiotherapy:

See Disease Characteristics
At least 30 days since prior radiotherapy for the malignant tumor (14 days for localized radiotherapy to nontarget lesions) and recovered

Surgery:

See Disease Characteristics