Bortezomib in Treating Patients With Stage IIIB or Stage IV Lung Cancer

You may be eligible if

• Criteria:
• Histologically confirmed bronchoalveolar carcinoma (BAC) or adenocarcinoma of the lung with BAC features:
• * Stage IIIB or IV disease:
• * Patients with stage IIIB disease must be ineligible for definitive combined modality treatment with radiotherapy and chemotherapy
• Measurable disease, defined as \>= 1 unidimensionally measurable lesion \>= 20 mm by conventional techniques or \>= 10 mm by spiral CT scan:
• * Previously irradiated lesions are considered measurable only if lesion progressed after completion of radiotherapy
• No unstable brain metastases:
• * Brain metastases that are stable for ≥ 1 month after completion of prior radiotherapy, stereotactic surgery, or surgery are allowed
• Performance status:
• * ECOG 0-2
• Life expectancy \>3 months
• Hepatic:
• * Bilirubin normal
• * AST and ALT =\< 2.5 times upper limit of normal
• Renal:
• * Creatinine normal OR creatinine clearance \>= 60 mL/min
• Cardiovascular:
• * No symptomatic congestive heart failure
• * No unstable angina pectoris
• * No cardiac arrhythmias
• No more than 1 prior chemotherapy regimen for advanced BAC:
• * Prior gefitinib or other known epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) inhibitors are not considered a systemic chemotherapy regimen
• At least 3 weeks since prior chemotherapy (6 weeks for nitrosoureas or mitomycin)
• At least 4 weeks since prior corticosteroids
• Not pregnant or nursing
• Negative pregnancy test
• Fertile patients must use effective contraception before, during, and for 30 days after completion of study treatment
• No ongoing or active infection
• No other malignancy within the past 3 years except adequately treated basal cell or squamous cell skin cancer, carcinoma in situ of the cervix, or adequately treated stage I or II cancer that is in complete remission
• No peripheral neuropathy \>= grade 2
• No known hypersensitivity to bortezomib, boron, or mannitol
• No psychiatric illness or social situation that would preclude study compliance
• No other uncontrolled illness
• No concurrent routine granulocyte colony-stimulating factors (e.g., filgrastim \[G-CSF\] or sargramostim \[GM-CSF\])
• At least 2 weeks since prior radiotherapy
• Recovered from prior therapy (alopecia allowed)
• At least 2 weeks since prior EGFR inhibitors
• At least 4 weeks since prior anticonvulsants
• No prior bortezomib
• No concurrent antiretroviral therapy for HIV-positive patients
• No other concurrent investigational agents
• No other concurrent anticancer therapy
• Concurrent bisphosphonates for bone metastases allowed
• Hematopoietic:
• * Absolute neutrophil count \>= 1,500/mm3
• * Platelet count \>= 100,000/mm3