Gemcitabine and Carboplatin With or Without AZD2171 as First-Line Therapy in Treating Patients With Stage IIIB or Stage IV Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer

DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:

* Histologically or cytologically confirmed non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC)

  * Squamous cell histology allowed
  * No mixed histology with small cell component
* Stage IIIB (with pleural effusion) or stage IV disease

  * Presence of peritoneal or pericardial effusion alone in the absence of cytologic evidence is not allowed
* Measurable disease, defined as ≥ 1 lesion with longest diameter ≥ 2.0 cm by conventional techniques OR ≥ 1.0 cm by spiral CT scan

  * If the only site of measurable disease was previously irradiated, progressive disease must be evident
* Ineligible for bevacizumab therapy
* No symptomatic, untreated, or uncontrolled CNS metastases

  * CNS metastases treated with whole-brain radiation (WBRT) allowed 4 weeks after completion of WBRT

PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:

* ECOG performance status 0-1
* Life expectancy ≥ 12 weeks
* Absolute neutrophil count ≥ 1,500/mm\^3
* Hemoglobin ≥ 9 g/dL
* Platelet count ≥ 100,000/mm\^3
* Bilirubin ≤ 3 times upper limit of normal (ULN)
* ALT and AST ≤ 3 times ULN (5 times ULN if liver involvement)
* Alkaline phosphatase ≤ 5 times ULN
* Not pregnant or nursing
* Negative pregnancy test
* Fertile patients must use effective nonhormonal contraception
* No proteinuria ≥ 1+
* No uncontrolled blood pressure (BP), defined as systolic BP \> 150 mm Hg and/or diastolic BP \> 100 mm Hg in spite of adequate antihypertensive therapy
* No impairment of gastrointestinal function or gastrointestinal disease that may significantly alter the absorption of AZD2171 (e.g., ulcerative disease, uncontrolled nausea, vomiting, or diarrhea, malabsorption syndrome, or small bowel resection)
* No seizure disorder
* No significant traumatic injury within 4 weeks prior to study entry
* No second primary malignancy except any of the following:

  * Carcinoma in situ of the cervix
  * Nonmelanoma skin cancer
  * Prior malignancy diagnosed and definitively treated ≥ 5 years ago with no subsequent evidence of recurrence
  * History of low-grade (Gleason score ≤ 6) localized prostate cancer even if diagnosed \< 5 years prior to registration
  * Treated stage I breast cancer ≤ 5 years prior to registration
* No uncontrolled intercurrent illness, including, but not limited to, any of the following:

  * Ongoing or active infection
  * Significant pulmonary symptoms at baseline due to disease
  * Symptomatic congestive heart failure
  * Unstable angina pectoris
  * Cardiac arrhythmia
  * Psychiatric illness or social situation that would limit compliance with study requirements
  * Baseline hemoptysis
  * Cavitating lesions
* No QTc prolongation \> 500 msec or other significant ECG abnormality within the past 14 days
* No New York Heart Association class III or IV disease

PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:

* See Disease Characteristics
* No prior chemotherapy for advanced lung cancer

  * Neoadjuvant or adjuvant therapy for lung cancer within the past 12 months allowed
* More than 12 months since prior immunotherapy and biologic therapy
* More than 4 weeks since prior radiotherapy (2 weeks for palliative radiotherapy to skeletal metastases)
* At least 2 weeks since prior WBRT
* No radiotherapy to ≥ 25% of bone marrow
* No major surgery (i.e., laparotomy) or open biopsy within 4 weeks prior to study entry (2 weeks for minor surgery)

  * Insertion of a vascular access device not considered major or minor surgery
* No concurrent combination antiretroviral therapy for HIV-positive patients
* No concurrent grapefruit or grapefruit juice during AZD2171 treatment
* No concurrent drugs or biologics with proarrhythmic potential
* Concurrent palliative radiotherapy to nontarget sites (i.e., painful pre-existing bony metastasis) allowed with AZD2171 (chemotherapy is held until completion of radiotherapy)