DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:

• Histologically or cytologically confirmed advanced non-small cell lung cancer

  • Stage IIIB not amenable to concurrent chemotherapy or radiotherapy (e.g., pleural effusion or low pulmonary reserve)
  • Stage IV
• Measurable disease

• Meets criteria for 1 of the following:

  • Chemotherapy naive (phases I and II) (phase I closed to accrual 1/29/02) (phase II [chemotherapy-naive patients] closed to accrual 9/1/03)

  • Previously treated (phase I) (phase I closed to accrual 1/29/02)

    • Received no more than 1 prior chemotherapy regimen
  • Chemotherapy refractory, defined as disease progression during or within 3 months after carboplatin/paclitaxel chemotherapy (phase II)
• No known brain or leptomeningeal disease unless previously irradiated, currently not undergoing corticosteroid therapy, and clinically asymptomatic

PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:

Age:

• 18 and over

Performance status:

• ECOG 0-2

Life expectancy:

• At least 12 weeks

Hematopoietic:

• Absolute neutrophil count at least 1,500/mm^3
• Hemoglobin at least 9.0 g/dL
• Platelet count at least 100,000/mm^3

Hepatic:

• Bilirubin no greater than 1.5 mg/dL
• AST and ALT no greater than 2.5 times upper limit of normal

Renal:

• Creatinine no greater than 1.5 mg/dL OR
• Creatinine clearance at least 50 mL/min
• Calcium less than 11.5 mg/dL

Cardiovascular:

• No history of myocardial infarction within the past 6 months
• No history of congestive heart failure requiring therapy
• No history of unstable angina

Other:

• Not pregnant or nursing
• Negative pregnancy test
• Fertile patients must use effective contraception
• No active serious infection
• HIV negative
• No concurrent uncontrolled diabetes mellitus
• No known hypersensitivity to Cremophor EL
• No grade 2 or greater neuropathy
• No other malignancy within the past 5 years except adequately treated basal cell or squamous cell skin cancer or carcinoma in situ of the cervix
• No known psychiatric condition that would preclude study compliance

PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:

Biologic therapy:

• Not specified

Chemotherapy:

• See Disease Characteristics
• At least 28 days since prior cytotoxic chemotherapy and recovered

Endocrine therapy:

• See Disease Characteristics

Radiotherapy:

• See Disease Characteristics
• Prior radiotherapy allowed except to indicator lesion

Surgery:

• Not specified