DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:

• Histologically or cytologically confirmed bronchoalveolar carcinoma (BAC) or adenocarcinoma of the lung with BAC features meeting 1 of the following stage criteria:

  • Stage IIIB disease (with pleural or pericardial effusion)
  • Stage IV disease
  • Recurrent disease

• Measurable disease

  • At least 1 unidimensionally measurable lesion ≥ 20 mm by conventional techniques OR ≥ 10 mm by spiral CT scan
• Tumor tissue available from biopsy

• No untreated brain metastases

  • Patients with stable brain metastases ≥ 4 weeks after external beam radiotherapy to the brain are eligible

PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:

Age

• 18 and over

Performance status

• ECOG 0-2 OR
• Karnofsky 50-100%

Life expectancy

• More than 3 months

Hematopoietic

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

Hepatic

• Bilirubin normal
• AST and/or ALT ≤ 2.5 times upper limit of normal
• No acute hepatitis

Renal

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

Cardiovascular

• No symptomatic congestive heart failure
• No uncontrolled hypertension
• No unstable angina pectoris
• No cardiac arrhythmia

Immunologic

• HIV-positive patients are eligible provided the following criteria are met:

  • CD4 count ≥ 100/mm^3
  • Undetectable viral load within the past 3 months
  • Receiving a stable antiretroviral regimen for ≥ 4 weeks before study entry

Immunologic

• No prior allergic reaction to chimerized or murine monoclonal antibody therapy
• No documented presence of human anti-mouse antibodies
• No ongoing or active infection

Other

• Not pregnant or nursing
• Negative pregnancy test
• Fertile patients must use effective contraception
• No psychiatric illness or social situation that would preclude study compliance
• No other uncontrolled illness

PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:

Biologic therapy

• No prior cetuximab
• No concurrent filgrastim (G-CSF) or sargramostim (GM-CSF)

Chemotherapy

• No more than 1 prior chemotherapy regimen for advanced BAC
• More than 3 years since prior chemotherapy for other malignancies
• At least 3 weeks since prior chemotherapy (6 weeks for nitrosoureas or mitomycin) for this malignancy and recovered

Endocrine therapy

• Not specified

Radiotherapy

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

Surgery

• Not specified

Other

• No other prior known epidermal growth factor receptor inhibitors (e.g., gefitinib or erlotinib)
• No other concurrent investigational agents
• No other concurrent anticancer therapy