Inclusion Criteria:

- Either histologic or cytologic proof of a newly diagnosed single, primary
bronchogenic non-small cell lung cancer is required (adenocarcinoma, non-lobar and
non-diffuse bronchioloalveolar cell carcinoma, large cell carcinoma, or squamous cell
carcinoma); a biopsy with histology is preferred, but cytology is allowed; histology
or cytology from involved mediastinal or supraclavicular lymph nodes alone will be
allowed if a separate distal primary lesion is clearly evident on radiographs (i.e.,
a second biopsy will not be required)

- Patients with brain metastases are ineligible; all patients must have a pretreatment
CT or MRI scan of the brain to evaluate for CNS disease within 42 days prior to
registration

- Patients with two or more parenchymal lesions on same or opposite sides of the lung
are ineligible

- Patients must have unresectable Stage IIIA (N2) or Stage IIIB disease and also
satisfy the following criteria:

- Unresectable Stage IIIA (N2) patients must satisfy the criteria:

- N2 mediastinal lymph nodes must be multiple and/or bulky on CT scan or
X-ray, such that, in the opinion of the treating investigator, the patient
is not a candidate for induction chemotherapy or chemoradiotherapy followed
by surgical resection

- If Stage IIIA (N2), the N2 status must be documented by any one of the following
methods:

- Histologic or cytologic proof of N2 disease by exploratory thoracotomy,
thoracoscopy, mediastinoscopy, mediastinotomy, Chamberlain procedure, Wang
needle biopsy, or fine needle aspiration (FNA) under bronchoscopic or CT
guidance or other method

- Node positivity by FDG-PET scan

- Nodes > 3 cm on CT scan

- Paralyzed left true vocal cord with separate left lung primary distinct
from AP window nodes on CT scan

- Stage IIIB patients must satisfy the following criteria; documentation of N3 or
T4 status may be obtained by one or more of the following:

- Pathologically documented or radiographically documented positive N3 nodes;
patients with positive supraclavicular or scalene lymph nodes must not have
disease extending up into the cervical region

- Fine needle aspiration, core needle biopsy or excisional biopsy or
supraclavicular N3 nodes

- Biopsy of contralateral mediastinal N3 nodes by mediastinoscopy,
mediastinotomy or thoracotomy

- Fine needle aspiration, core needle or Wang needle biopsy under Ct or
bronchoscopic fluoroscopic guidance of enlarged contralateral N3
mediastinal nodes

- Contralateral mediastinal nodes > 3 cm on CT scan

- Node positivity by FDG-PET scan

- Right sided primary with paralyzed left true vocal cord OR

- Any of the following T4 lesions: Tumor of any size that invades any of the
following: mediastinum, heart, great vessels, trachea, esophagus, vertebral
body or carina

- Written documentation of type of T4 extent by attending surgeon on
either the operative report or as an addendum in the notes section of
the prestudy form if patient has had an exploratory thoracotomy or
thoracoscopy

- T4 involvement of trachea or carina by direct bronchoscopic
visualization, documented on bronchoscopy report or as an addendum in
the notes section of the prestudy form

- T4 involvement of heart, esophagus, aorta or vertebral body documented
by CT scan, MRI or transesophageal ultrasound

- T4 involvement of the mediastinum may also be accepted by CT or MRI
criteria if, in absence of the above organ involvement, there is soft
tissue extension directly into the mediastinal space; radiographic
criteria for involvement of main pulmonary artery or vein is allowed
only if there is a mediastinal soft tissue mass

- Patients must not have malignant pleural effusions; NOTE: the only exception is
pleural effusion only on CT scan (and not visible on CXR) OR deemed too small to tap

- Patients with pericardial effusions are ineligible

- All patients must have measurable or non-measurable disease documented by CT, MRI,
X-ray or physical exam; measurable disease must be assessed within 28 days prior to
registration and non-measurable disease assessed within 42 days prior to
registration; pleural effusions and laboratory parameters are not acceptable as the
only evidence of disease

- Patients must not have received any prior chemotherapy or radiotherapy for lung
cancer; patients must not have had a previous surgical resection; however, patients
may have undergone exploratory thoracotomy, mediastinoscopy, excisional biopsy or
similar surgery for the purpose of determining diagnosis, stage, or potential
resectability or newly diagnosed lung tumor

- Patients must have a measured or calculated creatinine clearance >= 50 cc/min

- The pre-registration FEV1 must be either >= 2.0 liters, OR if < 2.0 liters, the
predicted FEV1 of the contralateral lung must be > 800 cc based on the quantitative
split function testing within 42 days prior to registration

- WBC >= 3,000/ul

- ANC >= 1,200/ul

- Platelet count >= 100,000/ul

- All patients must have a CT of upper abdomen to exclude metastatic disease involving
the contralateral chest, liver or adrenals (if chest CT is performed including
complete liver and adrenals in the report, a separate CT of upper abdomen is not
necessary) within 42 days prior to registration

- All patients must have a Zubrod Performance Status of 0-1

- Patients must have an EKG within 42 days prior to registration

- Institutions must have received IRB approval for S9925; Southwest Oncology Group,
NCIC-CTG and CTSU patients must be offered participation in S9925 (the Lung Cancer
Specimen Repository); patients registered by other groups may be offered
participation in S9925 (at the discretion of the participating group)

- No prior malignancy is allowed except for adequately treated basal cell or squamous
cell skin cancer, in situ cervical cancer, or other cancer for which the patient has
been disease-free for five years

- If day 28 of 42 falls on a weekend or holiday, the limit may be extended to the next
working day

- Pregnant or nursing women may not participate in this trial because of the increased
risk of fetal harm including fetal death from the chemotherapeutic agents; women/men
of reproductive potential may not participate unless they have agreed to use an
effective contraceptive method

- Patients must be informed of the investigational nature of this study and must sign
and give written informed consent in accordance with institutional and federal
guidelines

- At the time of patient registration, the treating institution's name and ID number
must be provided to the Data Operations Center in Seattle in order to ensure that the
current (within 365 days) date of institutional review board approval for this study
has been entered into the data base