Erlotinib, Paclitaxel, and Carboplatin in Treating Patients With Stage III, Stage IV, or Recurrent Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer

DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:

* Pathologically confirmed non-small cell lung cancer

  * Stage IIIB or IV or recurrent disease
* Measurable or evaluable indicator lesions
* Must have smoked ≥ 100 cigarettes in his/her lifetime

PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:

* Karnofsky performance status 70-100%
* WBC ≥ 4,000/mm\^3
* Platelet count ≥ 100,000/mm\^3
* Creatinine ≤ 1.5 mg/dL OR creatinine clearance ≥ 50 mL/min
* Bilirubin ≤ 1.0 mg/dL
* AST ≤ 2.5 times upper limit of normal (ULN)
* Alkaline phosphatase ≤ 2.5 times ULN
* Not pregnant or nursing
* Negative pregnancy test
* Fertile patients must use effective contraception during and for ≥ 1 week after completion of study treatment
* No gastrointestinal tract disease or inability to take oral medication
* No prior malignancy within the past 2 years except nonmelanoma skin cancer or carcinoma in situ of the cervix
* No other active medical problems, including severe infection, unstable angina, or myocardial infarction within the past 6 months
* No poorly controlled hypertension or severe malnutrition
* No New York Heart Association class III or IV congestive heart failure or serious cardiac arrhythmia requiring medication except chronic atrial arrhythmia (i.e., atrial fibrillation or paroxysmal supraventricular tachycardia)

PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:

* At least 3 weeks since prior radiotherapy to major bone marrow-containing sites
* No prior chemotherapy for advanced non-small cell lung cancer
* No prior agents directed at the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR)/HER axis (e.g., gefitinib, cetuximab, or trastuzumab \[Herceptin®\])
* No prior surgical procedure resulting in abnormal absorption of oral medications
* No concurrent surgical resection, palliative radiotherapy, or hormonal therapy
* No other concurrent anticancer therapy