Gemcitabine and Carboplatin Followed by Paclitaxel in Treating Patients With Stage III or Stage IV Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer

DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:

* Histologically confirmed non-small lung cancer (NSCLC) of any of the following histologic types:

  * Squamous cell
  * Adenocarcinoma
  * Large cell carcinoma
  * Unspecified
* Evidence of at least 1 of the following criteria:

  * Newly diagnosed inoperable stage IIIB (pleural effusion) disease
  * Patients with stage III disease who are unable to undergo combined modality therapy
  * Stage IV disease
  * Recurrent non-small cell lung cancer regardless of site
  * Diagnosis based on sputum cytology acceptable if confirmed by an independent pathologic review
* Patients must have measurable or evaluable disease

  * Measurable or evaluable disease must be outside the previous radiation field or a new lesion must be present
* Patients with brain metastases are eligible, provided they are either asymptomatic (no neurological symptoms or signs, no evidence of midline shift), or controlled (i.e., after surgical resection or radiotherapy/radiosurgery), and off all steroid therapy for at least two weeks with no evidence of progression by symptoms or radiologic imaging

PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:

* ECOG performance status of 2 or 3 OR HIV-positive OR underwent prior status post organ transplantation
* No active serious infection (except for HIV infection)
* No symptomatic, untreated malignant pericardial effusion
* No congestive heart failure
* No other serious underlying medical condition that would otherwise impair their ability to receive protocol treatment
* Absolute granulocyte count ≥ 1,500/mm\^3
* Platelet count ≥ 100,000/mm \^3
* Creatinine clearance ≥ 40 mL/min
* Creatinine ≤ 1.8 mg/dL
* Bilirubin \< 1.5 mg/dL
* SGOT ≤ 2 times upper limit of normal
* Not pregnant or nursing
* Negative pregnancy test
* Males or females of reproductive potential may not participate unless they have agreed to use effective barrier contraceptive methods
* No prior malignancy within the past 5 years except for adequately treated basal cell or squamous cell skin cancer or carcinoma in situ of the cervix

PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:

* See Disease Characteristics
* Prior chemotherapy is not allowed
* At least three weeks since prior radiotherapy and recovered from all toxicities
* At least three weeks must have elapsed from major surgery and recovered from all adverse effects of surgery
* No prior colony-stimulating factors or interferon
* No concurrent hormonal, biologic, or radiotherapy to measurable lesions

  * Patients may receive concurrent palliative radiotherapy to small-field nonmeasurable sites of disease (e.g., painful bony metastases)