Lomustine in Treating Patients With Stage III or Stage IV Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer

DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:

* Histologically confirmed non-small cell bronchogenic carcinoma, including the following histologic subtypes:

  * Squamous cell
  * Adenocarcinoma
  * Adenosquamous
  * Large cell anaplastic
  * Bronchoalveolar
  * Non-small cell carcinoma not otherwise specified (NOS)
* Stage IIIB disease (with a pleural effusion) or stage IV disease

  * Stage IV patients with brain metastases are eligible provided the brain metastases are clinically stable after treatment with surgery and/or radiation therapy
* Tumors must test positive for aberrant methylation of the MGMT gene by methylation-specific polymerase chain reaction
* Bidimensionally measurable or evaluable disease

PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:

* ECOG performance status 0-2
* No other active malignancies
* WBC ≥ 4,000/mm\^3 OR absolute neutrophil count ≥ 2,000/mm\^3
* Platelet count ≥ 100,000/mm\^3
* Total bilirubin normal
* AST \< 5 times upper limit of normal
* Serum creatinine ≤ 1.5 mg/dL OR creatinine clearance ≥ 60 mL/min
* No uncontrolled serious active infection
* Not pregnant or nursing

PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:

* See Disease Characteristics
* More than 3 weeks since prior chemotherapy
* No more than 2 prior chemotherapy regimens
* No prior therapy with nitrosoureas
* Recovered from prior radiation therapy