Inclusion Criteria

DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:

- Histologically confirmed non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC)

- Documented clinical or radiologic disease progression on or after initial systemic
therapy

- Must have received 1 prior platinum-based systemic therapy for NSCLC

- Measurable or nonmeasurable disease

- No evidence of small cell carcinoma, carcinoid, or mixed small cell/non-small cell
histology

- Brain metastases allowed provided patient received prior standard antitumor therapy
for CNS metastases (e.g., whole brain radiotherapy, stereotactic radioablation, or
surgery) and the following conditions are met:

- No prior systemic chemotherapy as a radiosensitizer combined with radiotherapy

- Obtained stable neurologic function at least 2 weeks before study entry

- Off steroid therapy or on a tapering regimen

- Recovered from prior therapy

PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:

Age

- 18 and over

Performance status

- ECOG 0-2

Life expectancy

- Al least 16 weeks

Hematopoietic

- Absolute neutrophil count at least 1,500/mm^3

- Platelet count at least 100,000/mm^3

Hepatic

- Bilirubin no greater than upper limit of normal (ULN)

- Alkaline phosphatase no greater than 2.5 times ULN

- AST or ALT no greater than 1.5 times ULN

Renal

- Creatinine no greater than 1.5 times ULN

Cardiovascular

- No unstable angina

- No myocardial infarction within the past 6 months

- No evidence of cardiac conduction abnormalities (e.g., bundle branch block or heart
block) unless cardiac status stable for the past 6 months

Other

- Not pregnant or nursing

- Negative pregnancy test

- Fertile patients must use effective contraception

- No evidence of unstable neurological symptoms in the past 4 weeks (2 weeks for
neurological symptoms due to brain metastases)

- No intolerance to excipients of polyglutamate paclitaxel (e.g., poly-L-glutamic acid,
poloxamer 188, dibasic sodium phosphate, or monobasic sodium hydroxide)

- No other unstable medical conditions

- No clinically significant active infection

- No neuropathy greater than grade 1

- No other concurrent primary malignancy except carcinoma in situ or nonmelanoma skin
cancer

- No circumstance that would preclude study completion or follow-up

PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:

Biologic therapy

- Not specified

Chemotherapy

- See Disease Characteristics

- No prior polyglutamate paclitaxel

- No prior docetaxel

Endocrine therapy

- See Disease Characteristics

Radiotherapy

- See Disease Characteristics

- No concurrent radiotherapy

Surgery

- See Disease Characteristics

- Recovered from prior major surgery

Other

- Recovered from prior therapy

- More than 2 weeks since prior treatment for NSCLC

- More than 4 weeks since prior investigational drugs

- No other concurrent investigational drugs

- No other concurrent systemic antitumor therapy

- No concurrent amifostine

- Concurrent bisphosphonates allowed