Vaccine Therapy, Chemotherapy, and Radiation Therapy in Treating Patients With Stage III Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer That Cannot Be Removed With Surgery

You may be eligible if

• DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:
• Histologically confirmed non-small cell lung cancer
• * Stage III (locally advanced) disease
• Unresectable disease
• Carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA)-positive (staining ≥ 20% of cells) tumor by immunohistochemistry
• HLA-A2-positive
• No distant metastases
• PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:
• Age
• 18 and over
• Performance status
• ECOG 0-1
• Life expectancy
• At least 6 months
• Hematopoietic
• Granulocyte count ≥ 1,500/mm\^3
• Platelet count ≥ 100,000/mm\^3
• Absolute lymphocyte count ≥ 600/mm\^3
• Hemoglobin ≥ 10 g/dL
• Hepatic
• Bilirubin \< 1.5 mg/dL
• AST ≤ 2 times upper limit of normal
• Hepatitis B and C negative
• Renal
• Creatinine normal OR
• Creatinine clearance \> 60 mL/min
• Cardiovascular
• No unstable or newly diagnosed angina pectoris
• No myocardial infarction within the past 6 months
• No New York Heart Association class II-IV congestive heart failure
• Immunologic
• HIV negative
• No altered immune function
• No active or history of eczema
• No atopic dermatitis
• No autoimmune disease, including any of the following:
• * Autoimmune neutropenia, thrombocytopenia, or hemolytic anemia
• * Systemic lupus erythematosus
• * Sjögren's syndrome
• * Scleroderma
• * Myasthenia gravis
• * Goodpasture's syndrome
• * Addison's disease
• * Hashimoto's thyroiditis
• * Active Graves' disease
• * Multiple sclerosis
• No known history of allergy or serious reaction to prior vaccination with vaccina
• No known allergy to eggs
• No active or history of extensive psoriasis, severe acneiform rash, impetigo, varicella zoster, burns, or other traumatic or pruritic skin condition
• Other
• Not pregnant or nursing
• Negative pregnancy test
• Fertile patients must use effective contraception during and for 4 months after study participation
• No history of seizures or encephalitis
• Able to avoid close household contact with the following individuals for at least 3 weeks after vaccinia vaccination:
• * Children under 3 years of age
• * Pregnant or nursing women
• * Individuals with a history of or active eczema or other eczematoid skin disorders
• * Individuals with other acute, chronic, or exfoliative skin conditions (e.g., atopic dermatitis, impetigo, burns, varicella zoster, severe acne, or other open rashes or wounds)
• * Immunodeficient or immunosuppressed individuals, including HIV-positive persons, by disease or therapy
• No other active malignancy within the past 2 years
• No other concurrent serious illness
• PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:
• Biologic therapy
• At least 3 years since prior immunotherapy with related vaccinia and fowlpox vaccines
• At least 3 years since prior antigen-specific peptides
• No other concurrent immunotherapy
• Chemotherapy
• No prior paclitaxel or carboplatin for lung cancer
• At least 3 years since prior chemotherapy
• No other concurrent chemotherapy
• Endocrine therapy
• No concurrent steroids, except for any of the following:
• * Topical steroids
• * Inhaled steroids for mild or moderate asthma
• * Dexamethasone as premedication for paclitaxel OR for short-term doses (48-72 hours in duration) to control refractory nausea that is not responding to other antiemetics
• * Systemic corticosteroids for ≥ grade 3 radiation pneumonitis
• No steroid eye-drops for at least 3 weeks after vaccinia vaccination
• No concurrent hormonal therapy
• No concurrent systemic glucocorticoids
• Radiotherapy
• No prior radiotherapy to the lung fields
• No prior thoracic radiotherapy for lung cancer
• No other concurrent radiotherapy
• Surgery
• Surgical scars must be healed
• No prior splenectomy
• No concurrent major surgical procedure
• Other
• Recovered from all prior therapy
• No other concurrent anticancer agent or therapy