Docetaxel in Treating Older Patients With Locally Advanced or Metastatic Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer

You may be eligible if

• DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:
• Histologically or cytologically confirmed non-small cell lung cancer, including adenocarcinoma, squamous cell carcinoma, large cell carcinoma, or combination of these histologies
• * Stage IIIB (i.e., pleural T4) disease
• * Stage IV disease
• * Recurrent disease after prior surgery or radiotherapy allowed provided disease is in an area that was not previously irradiated
• Measurable disease by CT scan or MRI
• No symptomatic brain metastasis
• Activity of Daily Living Scale score ≥ 4
• Instrumental Autonomy of Daily Living Scale score ≥ 4
• PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:
• Age
• 70 and over
• Performance status
• Not specified
• Life expectancy
• More than 3 months
• Hematopoietic
• Neutrophil count \> 1,500/mm\^3
• Platelet count \> 100,000/mm\^3
• Hemoglobin \> 10 g/dL
• Hepatic
• Transaminases \< 1.5 times normal
• Bilirubin normal
• Alkaline phosphatase \< 2.5 times normal
• Pre-albumin \> 1.5 mg/dL
• Renal
• Creatinine clearance \> 30 mL/min
• Cardiovascular
• No congestive heart failure
• No unstable angina pectoris
• No myocardial infarction within the past year
• No uncontrolled hypertension
• No uncontrolled high-risk arrhythmias
• Gastrointestinal
• No active peptic ulcer
• No inflammatory bowel disease
• Neurologic
• No history of dementia or seizures that would preclude giving informed consent
• No peripheral neuropathy ≥ grade 2
• No history of significant neurologic disorders
• Immunologic
• No history of hypersensitivity to the study drug or drugs formulated with polysorbate 80
• No active uncontrolled infection
• Other
• No history of psychotic disorders
• No uncontrolled diabetes mellitus
• No absolute contraindication to corticosteroid use
• No other malignancy within the past 5 years except basal cell skin cancer or carcinoma in situ of the cervix
• No geriatric depression scale score ≥ 12/15
• No familial, social, geographical, or psychological reason that would preclude study follow up
• PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:
• Biologic therapy
• Not specified
• Chemotherapy
• No prior chemotherapy for stage IIIB or IV non-small cell lung cancer
• No other concurrent chemotherapy
• Endocrine therapy
• No concurrent chronic treatment with corticosteroids except low-dose (i.e., methylprednisolone ≤ 20 mg/day or equivalent) treatment that was initiated \> 6 months ago
• Radiotherapy
• See Disease Characteristics
• Surgery
• See Disease Characteristics
• Other
• More than 30 days since prior active participation in another therapeutic clinical trial
• No other concurrent anticancer therapy
• No other concurrent investigational drugs