Once Weekly Radiation for Lung Cancer With Chemotherapy

40 patients with locally advanced and metastatic NSCLC will be enrolled (stages III and IV) and treated once per week for a total of 12 cycles (12 weeks) according to the schedule outlined below. Chemotherapy: The suggested phase II dose for weekly Taxotere with concomitant standard chest radiotherapy was determined to be 20mg/m2. In our unpublished phase I clinical trial, we found 35 mg/m2 to be well tolerated and therefore this dose is chosen for this phase II study. The drug will be administered intravenously on the same day as the radiation. All patients will be premedicated 12 hours prior to chemotherapy with Decadrone. Patients will be followed and evaluated weekly by a physician. Radiation therapy: Although radiation was delivered differently in previous Taxotere based combined modality studies, the total radiation dose remains the same. Treatment will be given to a large field with a 2-3 cm tumor margin. All involved or suspicious nodal areas will be radiated as well. To reduce volume toxicity, the "field within a field" technique will be employed. Tumor and involved nodes will receive 200 cGy + 300 cGy. A total of 12 treatments will be administered in weekly, single sessions. Total treatment will be 6000 cGy. Radiation treatment will be administered 24 hours after Taxotere infusion.