DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:

• Histologically or cytologically confirmed non-small cell lung cancer, meeting 1 of the following stage criteria:

  • Stage IIIB disease with malignant pericardial or malignant pleural effusions, as indicated by 1 of the following:

    • Positive cytology
    • Exudative effusion AND lactic dehydrogenase (LDH) > 200 IU with effusion/serum LDH ratio ≥ 0.6
  • Stage IV disease
• Measurable disease, defined as ≥ 1 unidimensionally measurable lesion > 20 mm by conventional techniques OR > 10 mm by spiral CT scan
• Brain metastases allowed provided they have been irradiated AND are radiographically stable for ≥ 28 days after the completion of radiotherapy

PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:

Age

• 18 and over

Performance status

• ECOG 0-1

Life expectancy

• At least 12 weeks

Hematopoietic

• Absolute neutrophil count ≥ 1,500/mm^3
• Platelet count ≥ 100,000/mm^3
• Hemoglobin ≥ 8.0 g/dL

Hepatic

• AST and ALT normal
• Bilirubin normal

Renal

• Creatinine clearance ≥ 50 mL/min

Immunologic

• No known HIV positivity
• No history of severe hypersensitivity reaction to docetaxel or other drugs formulated with polysorbate 80
• No clinically significant active infection

Other

• Not pregnant or nursing
• Fertile patients must use effective contraception before, during, and for 4 weeks after completion of study treatment
• No other primary malignancy within the past 5 years except adequately treated nonmelanoma skin cancer or carcinoma in situ of the cervix
• No other serious systemic disorder that would preclude study participation
• No other condition that would preclude study compliance

PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:

Biologic therapy

• Prior antibody-based therapy that targets growth factor pathways (e.g., epidermal growth factor receptor [EGFR]) allowed provided there is disease progression during therapy and patient has recovered
• No concurrent immunotherapy
• No concurrent prophylactic colony-stimulating factors
• No concurrent interleukin-11

Chemotherapy

• No prior cytotoxic chemotherapy
• No other concurrent chemotherapy

Endocrine therapy

• No concurrent hormonal therapy for the malignancy

Radiotherapy

• See Disease Characteristics
• More than 28 days since prior radiotherapy and recovered
• No prior radiotherapy to ≥ 25% of the bone marrow
• No prior radiotherapy to sites of measurable disease unless there is documented tumor progression after completion of radiotherapy
• No concurrent radiotherapy

Surgery

• No concurrent surgery for the malignancy

Other

• More than 3 weeks since prior investigational drugs
• Prior oral small molecule drug therapy that targets growth factor pathways (e.g., EGFR) allowed provided there is disease progression during therapy and patient has recovered
• No other concurrent investigational or commercial agents or therapies for the malignancy