DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:

• Histologically confirmed bronchoalveolar carcinoma (BAC) or adenocarcinoma of the lung with BAC features

  • Stage IIIB or IV disease

    • Patients with stage IIIB disease must be ineligible for definitive combined modality treatment with radiotherapy and chemotherapy

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

  • Previously irradiated lesions are considered measurable only if lesion progressed after completion of radiotherapy

• No unstable brain metastases

  • Brain metastases that are stable for ≥ 1 month after completion of prior radiotherapy, stereotactic surgery, or surgery are allowed

PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:

Age

• 18 and over

Performance status

• ECOG 0-2

Life expectancy

• More than 3 months

Hematopoietic

• Absolute neutrophil count ≥ 1,500/mm^3
• Platelet count ≥ 100,000/mm^3

Hepatic

• Bilirubin normal
• AST and ALT ≤ 2.5 times upper limit of normal

Renal

• Creatinine normal OR
• Creatinine clearance ≥ 60 mL/min

Cardiovascular

• No symptomatic congestive heart failure
• No unstable angina pectoris
• No cardiac arrhythmias

Other

• Not pregnant or nursing
• Negative pregnancy test
• Fertile patients must use effective contraception before, during, and for 30 days after completion of study treatment
• No ongoing or active infection
• No other malignancy within the past 3 years except adequately treated basal cell or squamous cell skin cancer, carcinoma in situ of the cervix, or adequately treated stage I or II cancer that is in complete remission
• No peripheral neuropathy ≥ grade 2
• No known hypersensitivity to bortezomib, boron, or mannitol
• No psychiatric illness or social situation that would preclude study compliance
• No other uncontrolled illness

PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:

Biologic therapy

• No concurrent routine granulocyte colony-stimulating factors (e.g., filgrastim [G-CSF] or sargramostim [GM-CSF])

Chemotherapy

• No more than 1 prior chemotherapy regimen for advanced BAC

  • Prior gefitinib or other known epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) inhibitors are not considered a systemic chemotherapy regimen
• At least 3 weeks since prior chemotherapy (6 weeks for nitrosoureas or mitomycin)

Endocrine therapy

• At least 4 weeks since prior corticosteroids

Radiotherapy

• See Disease Characteristics
• At least 2 weeks since prior radiotherapy

Surgery

• See Disease Characteristics

Other

• Recovered from prior therapy (alopecia allowed)
• At least 2 weeks since prior EGFR inhibitors
• At least 4 weeks since prior anticonvulsants
• No prior bortezomib
• No concurrent antiretroviral therapy for HIV-positive patients
• No other concurrent investigational agents
• No other concurrent anticancer therapy
• Concurrent bisphosphonates for bone metastases allowed