Erlotinib, Paclitaxel, and Carboplatin in Treating Patients With Stage III, Stage IV, or Recurrent Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer

You may be eligible if

• DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:
• Pathologically confirmed non-small cell lung cancer
• * Stage IIIB or IV or recurrent disease
• Measurable or evaluable indicator lesions
• Must have smoked ≥ 100 cigarettes in his/her lifetime
• PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:
• Karnofsky performance status 70-100%
• WBC ≥ 4,000/mm\^3
• Platelet count ≥ 100,000/mm\^3
• Creatinine ≤ 1.5 mg/dL OR creatinine clearance ≥ 50 mL/min
• Bilirubin ≤ 1.0 mg/dL
• AST ≤ 2.5 times upper limit of normal (ULN)
• Alkaline phosphatase ≤ 2.5 times ULN
• Not pregnant or nursing
• Negative pregnancy test
• Fertile patients must use effective contraception during and for ≥ 1 week after completion of study treatment
• No gastrointestinal tract disease or inability to take oral medication
• No prior malignancy within the past 2 years except nonmelanoma skin cancer or carcinoma in situ of the cervix
• No other active medical problems, including severe infection, unstable angina, or myocardial infarction within the past 6 months
• No poorly controlled hypertension or severe malnutrition
• No New York Heart Association class III or IV congestive heart failure or serious cardiac arrhythmia requiring medication except chronic atrial arrhythmia (i.e., atrial fibrillation or paroxysmal supraventricular tachycardia)
• PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:
• At least 3 weeks since prior radiotherapy to major bone marrow-containing sites
• No prior chemotherapy for advanced non-small cell lung cancer
• No prior agents directed at the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR)/HER axis (e.g., gefitinib, cetuximab, or trastuzumab \[Herceptin®\])
• No prior surgical procedure resulting in abnormal absorption of oral medications
• No concurrent surgical resection, palliative radiotherapy, or hormonal therapy
• No other concurrent anticancer therapy