Pemetrexed Disodium and Cisplatin Followed By Surgery and Radiation Therapy in Treating Patients With Malignant Pleural Mesothelioma

DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:

* Histologically confirmed malignant pleural mesothelioma

  * All subtypes allowed
* T1-3, N0-1, M0 disease

  * No N2 or N3 involvement confirmed by mediastinoscopy within 21 days before study entry
* No clinical invasion of mediastinal structures (e.g., heart, aorta, spine, esophagus)
* No wide-spread chest wall invasion except focal chest wall lesions
* No clinical or radiological evidence of shrinking hemithorax
* No clinically significant third-space fluid (e.g., pleural effusions or ascites) that cannot be managed with thoracentesis or pleurodesis

PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:

Age

* Under 70

Performance status

* WHO 0-1

Life expectancy

* Not specified

Hematopoietic

* WBC \> 3,500/mm\^3
* Absolute neutrophil count \> 1,500/mm\^3
* Platelet count \> 100,000/mm\^3
* Hemoglobin ≥ 11 g/dL

Hepatic

* AST and ALT \< 1.5 times upper limit of normal (ULN)
* Bilirubin \< 1.5 times ULN
* Alkaline phosphatase \< 1.5 times ULN

Renal

* Creatinine clearance ≥ 60 mL/min
* Acceptable (predicted) post-radiotherapy renal function by semiquantitative isotope renography, with a relative contribution of the contralateral kidney of ≥ 40%

Pulmonary

* See Disease Characteristics

Other

* Not pregnant or nursing
* Negative pregnancy test
* Fertile patients must use effective contraception during and for 3 months after completion of study treatment
* Deemed to be fit enough to undergo study treatment
* No preexisting sensory neurotoxicity \> grade 1
* No uncontrolled infection
* No prior or concurrent melanoma, breast cancer, or hypernephroma
* No other malignancy within the past 5 years except carcinoma in situ of the cervix or adequately treated basal cell skin cancer
* No psychological, familial, sociological, or geographical condition that would preclude study compliance

PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:

Biologic therapy

* No concurrent immunotherapy
* No concurrent routine use of colony-stimulating factors during neoadjuvant chemotherapy

  * Concurrent secondary prophylactic use allowed during neoadjuvant chemotherapy
* No concurrent secondary prophylactic use of colony-stimulating factors during post-operative radiotherapy

Chemotherapy

* No prior chemotherapy for mesothelioma

Endocrine therapy

* No concurrent hormonal cancer therapy

Radiotherapy

* No prior radiotherapy to the lower neck, thorax, or upper abdomen

Surgery

* See Disease Characteristics

Other

* No other concurrent anticancer therapy
* No other concurrent experimental medications
* No nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs or salicylates for 2 days before, during, and 2 days after administration of neoadjuvant chemotherapy (5 days before and 2 days after for drugs with a long half-life \[e.g., naproxen, piroxicam, diflunisal, or nabumetone\])