Inclusion Criteria

DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:

- Histologically confirmed advanced non-small cell lung cancer

- No known standard therapy for disease that is potentially curative or definitely
capable of extending life expectancy

- No symptomatic or worsening CNS metastases despite optimal therapy

PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:

- ECOG performance status 0-2

- Life expectancy ≥ 12 weeks

- ANC ≥ 1,500/µL

- Platelet count ≥ 100,000/µL

- Total bilirubin ≤ 2 times upper limit of normal (ULN)

- AST ≤ 3 times ULN (5 times ULN if liver involvement)

- Creatinine ≤ 1.2 times ULN

- Hemoglobin ≥ 9.0 g/dL

- Not pregnant or nursing

- Negative pregnancy test

- Fertile patients must use effective contraception

- Must be willing to provide blood and tissue samples

- No uncontrolled infection

- No New York Heart Association class III or IV heart disease

- No known allergy to gold sodium thiomalate

PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:

- Recovered from acute, reversible effects of prior chemotherapy regardless of interval
since last treatment

- No prior chemotherapy within the past 3 weeks

- No prior mitomycin C or nitrosoureas within the past 6 weeks

- No prior immunotherapy within the past 3 weeks

- No prior biologic therapy within the past 3 weeks

- No prior radiotherapy within the past 3 weeks

- No prior radiotherapy to > 25% of bone marrow

- No other concurrent chemotherapy, immunotherapy, radiotherapy, or any ancillary
therapy considered investigational (i.e., utilized for a non-FDA-approved indication
and in the context of a research investigation)

- No concurrent prophylactic colony stimulating factors