DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:

• Microscopically confirmed non-small cell lung cancer

  • Stage IB (T2, N0, M0), IIA (T1, N1, M0), IIB (T2, N1, M0 or T3, N0, M0), or IIIA (T1-3, N1-2, M0) disease
  • At least 3 nodal stations assessed on initial bronchoscopy and mediastinoscopy
  • Satellite lesions in one lobe (T4) (stage IIIB) allowed

• Meets 1 of the following criteria:

  • Measurable disease, defined as ≥ 1 unidimensionally measurable lesion ≥ 10 mm in the longest diameter
  • Evaluable disease, defined as lesions on chest CT scan that are not measurable (e.g., ill-defined masses or mediastinal or hilar adenopathy)

• No metastatic disease except peribronchial/hilar lymph nodes (N1) or ipsilateral/subcarnial mediastinal lymph nodes (N2)

  • No N3 lymph nodes (e.g., contralateral mediastinal/hilar or supraclavicular/scalene) by CT scan or positron emission tomography (PET) scan AND mediastinoscopy
  • No T4 primary tumor (e.g., mediastinal invasion)

• No malignant pleural effusion

  • Nonmalignant effusions (i.e., negative cytology, non-bloody, and transudate) allowed
  • Effusions visible only by CT scan and not large enough for safe thoracentesis allowed

• No exudative effusion, defined by 1 of the following criteria:

  • Pleural fluid protein:serum protein ratio > 0.5
  • Pleural fluid lactic dehydrogenase (LDH):serum LDH ratio ≥ 0.6
  • Pleural fluid LDH > 200 IU/L

• No more than 1 area of fludeoxyglucose (FDG) uptake outside the area of the primary lung tumor OR evidence of malignant pleural disease as evidenced by pleural nodules by PET scan

  • Single areas of FDG uptake will be further evaluated (e.g., by biopsy) for metastatic disease

PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:

Age

• 18 and over

Performance status

• ECOG 0-1

Life expectancy

• Not specified

Hematopoietic

• WBC ≥ 3,000/mm^3
• Platelet count ≥ 100,000/mm^3
• Hemoglobin ≥ 9 g/dL

Hepatic

• Bilirubin ≤ 1.5 mg/dL
• SGOT or SGPT ≤ 1.5 times upper limit of normal

Renal

• Creatinine clearance ≥ 45 mL/min

Other

• Not pregnant or nursing
• Negative pregnancy test
• Fertile patients must use effective contraception during and for 3 months after completion of study treatment
• No other active malignancy within the past 2 years except nonmelanoma skin cancer or carcinoma in situ of the cervix
• No psychological, familial, sociological, or geographical situation that would preclude study compliance

PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:

Biologic therapy

• Not specified

Chemotherapy

• No prior chemotherapy for lung cancer

Endocrine therapy

• Not specified

Radiotherapy

• No prior radiotherapy for lung cancer

Surgery

• No prior surgery for lung cancer
• At least 12 weeks since prior major surgery to the chest and abdomen

Other

• No concurrent aspirin or other nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs for ≥ 2 days before (5 days for drugs with a long half-life [e.g., naproxin, piraoxicam, difunisal, nabumetone, rofecoxib, or celecoxib] or 8 days for long acting agents), during, and for 2 days after completion of each pemetrexed disodium administration
• No concurrent participation in another study involving chemotherapy or radiotherapy