DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:

• Histologically or cytologically confirmed stage III non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC)

  • Locoregionally advanced unresectable disease
  • Previously untreated
• Measurable disease
• No involvement of supraclavicular lymph nodes
• No cytologically positive pleural or pericardial effusion
• No invasion to the wall of the esophagus or the cardiac ventricle
• No bone marrow involvement
• No distant metastases

PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:

Age:

• 18 to 70

Performance status:

• WHO 0-1

Life expectancy:

• At least 12 weeks

Hematopoietic:

• WBC greater than 4,000/mm^3
• Absolute neutrophil count greater than 2,000/mm^3
• Platelet count at least 100,000/mm^3
• Hemoglobin greater than 10 g/dL

Hepatic:

• Bilirubin less than upper limit of normal (ULN)
• AST and ALT less than 2.5 times ULN
• Alkaline phosphatase less than 5 times ULN
• No hepatic abnormalities

Renal:

• Creatinine less than ULN

Cardiovascular:

• No myocardial infarction within the past 6 months
• No cardiac insufficiency
• No uncontrolled arrhythmia

Pulmonary:

• FEV1 greater than 1 L
• DLCO at least 30% predicted
• No pneumonia
• No other non-disease-related pulmonary complications

Other:

• No more than 10% of total weight loss over the past 6 months
• No other disease that would preclude study
• No peripheral neuropathy grade 3 or greater
• No other prior or concurrent malignancy except curatively treated nonmelanoma skin cancer or carcinoma in situ of the cervix
• No familial, geographic, or psychological condition that would preclude study
• Not pregnant or nursing

PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:

Biologic therapy:

• No prior immunotherapy
• No concurrent immunotherapy

Chemotherapy:

• No prior systemic chemotherapy

Endocrine therapy:

• No concurrent endocrine therapy

Radiotherapy:

• No prior radiotherapy for NSCLC

Surgery:

• See Disease Characteristics
• No prior complete resection of tumor
• Prior radical surgical resection allowed if local recurrence of disease
• No concurrent major surgery

Other:

• No other concurrent anticancer therapy or investigational agents