Inclusion Criteria

DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:

- Biopsy confirmed carcinoma in situ (CIS) or microinvasive bronchogenic non-small cell
lung carcinoma

- May have squamous cell carcinoma, adenocarcinoma, or large cell carcinoma
histology

- Stage 0 (CIS or microinvasive) disease, meeting all of the following criteria:

- Lesion must be radiographically occult and not definable by conventional CT scan
of the chest

- Lesion may or may not be invisible on white light bronchoscopy, but is definable
and photographable on laser-induced fluorescence emission (LIFE) bronchoscopy

- Biopsy of the lesion must indicate no evidence of invasion beyond cartilage on
histopathology, but may be invasive through the basement membrane (microinvasive
carcinoma)

- No evidence of major pulmonary vessel encasement on CT scan of the chest

PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:

- Karnofsky performance status (PS) 50-100% OR ECOG PS 0-2

- Platelet count ≥ 100,000/mm^3

- WBC ≥ 4,000/mm^3

- Prothrombin time ≤ 1.5 times upper limit of normal (ULN)

- Total bilirubin ≤ 3.0 mg/dL

- Creatinine ≤ 3.0 mg/dL

- Alkaline phosphatase (hepatic) or SGOT ≤ 3 times ULN

- No porphyria or hypersensitivity to porphyrin or porphyrin-like compounds

- No severe chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, that in the opinion of the
investigator, would preclude multiple bronchoscopies or partial central airway
obstruction from mucous/debris formation

- Patients with underlying lung disease must be judged (by the principal investigator)
able to withstand mucous or debris formation at the site of treatment

- No contraindications for bronchoscopy

- Not pregnant

- Negative pregnancy test

- Fertile patients must use effective contraception

PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:

- More than 4 weeks since prior and no concurrent chemotherapy or radiotherapy

- Prior therapy of any type (e.g., chemotherapy or radiotherapy) allowed for lung
cancer