Erlotinib and Radiation Therapy Plus Combination Chemotherapy in Treating Patients With Inoperable Stage III Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer

Inclusion Criteria:

* Histologically confirmed non-small cell lung cancer

  * Squamous cell carcinoma
  * Adenocarcinoma (including bronchoalveolar)
  * Large cell carcinoma (including giant and clear cell carcinomas)
* Stage IIIA (T1 or T2, N2) or IIIB disease not amenable to resection or surgery
* T3, N2 or T4, N0-N2 disease also allowed if based on the closeness to the carina, invasion of the mediastinum, or invasion of the chest wall
* T3, N0-N1 disease allowed provided the disease is not amenable for surgical resection
* No M1 disease
* No disease invasion of a vertebral body

  * Tumors adjacent to a vertebral body allowed provided all gross disease can be encompassed in the radiotherapy boost field and there is no bone invasion
* Contralateral mediastinal disease (N3) allowed if all gross disease can be encompassed in the radiotherapy boost field
* Pleural effusion that is transudative, cytologically negative, and non-bloody allowed if the tumor can be encompassed in a reasonable field of radiotherapy

  * No exudative, bloody, or cytologically malignant effusions
  * Effusions present on CT scans but not on chest x-ray (CXR) and too small for thoracentesis are allowed
* Measurable or evaluable disease

  * Pleural effusions are not considered measurable or evaluable
  * Measurable disease is defined as any mass in 2 perpendicular diameters by CXR, CT scan, or MRI
  * Evaluable disease includes lesions apparent on CXR or CT scan that are:

    * Ill-defined masses associated with post-obstructive changes
    * Mediastinal or hilar adenopathy measurable in only one dimension
* Performance status - ECOG 0-1
* Performance status - Karnofsky 70-100%
* More than 6 months
* WBC at least 3,000/mm\^3
* Absolute neutrophil count at least 1,500/mm\^3
* Platelet count at least 100,000/mm\^3
* Bilirubin normal
* AST and ALT no greater than 1.5 times upper limit of normal (ULN) and alkaline phosphatase normal
* AST and ALT normal and alkaline phosphatase no greater than 2.5 times ULN
* Creatinine normal
* Creatinine clearance at least 50 mL/min
* No symptomatic congestive heart failure
* No unstable angina pectoris
* No cardiac arrhythmia
* No history of cornea abnormalities (e.g., dry-eye syndrome, Sjögren's syndrome)
* No congenital abnormality (e.g., Fuch's dystrophy)
* No abnormal slit-lamp examination using a vital dye (e.g., fluorescein, Bengal-Rose)
* No abnormal corneal sensitivity test (e.g., Schirmer test or similar tear production test)
* No gastrointestinal tract disease resulting in the inability to take oral medications
* No required IV alimentation
* No peptic ulcer disease
* Not pregnant or nursing
* Negative pregnancy test
* Fertile patients must use effective contraception
* No history of allergy to compounds of similar chemical or biologic composition to erlotinib or other study agents
* No significant traumatic injury within the past 21 days
* No other uncontrolled concurrent illness
* No ongoing or active infection
* No psychiatric illness or social situation that would preclude study compliance
* No other active malignancy within the past 6 months except non-melanoma skin cancer
* No concurrent colony-stimulating factors (filgrastim \[G-CSF\] or sargramostim \[GM-CSF\]) with radiotherapy
* No prior chemotherapy for lung cancer
* See Disease Characteristics
* No prior chest radiotherapy
* See Disease Characteristics
* At least 7 days since prior mediastinoscopy
* More than 3 weeks since prior formal exploratory thoracotomy
* More than 3 weeks since prior major surgery
* No prior surgical procedures affecting absorption
* No prior epidermal growth factor receptor-targeting therapies
* No other concurrent investigational or commercial agents or therapies directed at malignancy
* No concurrent combination antiretroviral therapy for HIV-positive patients