Polyglutamate Paclitaxel Compared With Docetaxel in Treating Patients With Progressive Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer

DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:

Histologically confirmed non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC)

Documented clinical or radiologic disease progression on or after initial systemic therapy

Must have received 1 prior platinum-based systemic therapy for NSCLC
Measurable or nonmeasurable disease
No evidence of small cell carcinoma, carcinoid, or mixed small cell/non-small cell histology

Brain metastases allowed provided patient received prior standard antitumor therapy for CNS metastases (e.g., whole brain radiotherapy, stereotactic radioablation, or surgery) and the following conditions are met:

No prior systemic chemotherapy as a radiosensitizer combined with radiotherapy
Obtained stable neurologic function at least 2 weeks before study entry
Off steroid therapy or on a tapering regimen
Recovered from prior therapy

PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:

Age

18 and over

Performance status

ECOG 0-2

Life expectancy

Al least 16 weeks

Hematopoietic

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

Hepatic

Bilirubin no greater than upper limit of normal (ULN)
Alkaline phosphatase no greater than 2.5 times ULN
AST or ALT no greater than 1.5 times ULN

Renal

Creatinine no greater than 1.5 times ULN

Cardiovascular

No unstable angina
No myocardial infarction within the past 6 months
No evidence of cardiac conduction abnormalities (e.g., bundle branch block or heart block) unless cardiac status stable for the past 6 months

Other

Not pregnant or nursing
Negative pregnancy test
Fertile patients must use effective contraception
No evidence of unstable neurological symptoms in the past 4 weeks (2 weeks for neurological symptoms due to brain metastases)
No intolerance to excipients of polyglutamate paclitaxel (e.g., poly-L-glutamic acid, poloxamer 188, dibasic sodium phosphate, or monobasic sodium hydroxide)
No other unstable medical conditions
No clinically significant active infection
No neuropathy greater than grade 1
No other concurrent primary malignancy except carcinoma in situ or nonmelanoma skin cancer
No circumstance that would preclude study completion or follow-up

PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:

Biologic therapy

Not specified

Chemotherapy

See Disease Characteristics
No prior polyglutamate paclitaxel
No prior docetaxel

Endocrine therapy

See Disease Characteristics

Radiotherapy

See Disease Characteristics
No concurrent radiotherapy

Surgery

See Disease Characteristics
Recovered from prior major surgery

Other

Recovered from prior therapy
More than 2 weeks since prior treatment for NSCLC
More than 4 weeks since prior investigational drugs
No other concurrent investigational drugs
No other concurrent systemic antitumor therapy
No concurrent amifostine
Concurrent bisphosphonates allowed