Vandetanib, Carboplatin, and Paclitaxel in Treating Patients With Stage I, Stage II, or Stage III Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer That Can Be Removed by Surgery

DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:

* Histologically or cytologically confirmed non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), meeting 1 of the following staging criteria:

  * Stage IB or II disease
  * T3, N0-1 disease (stage IIIA)
* Deemed a surgical candidate
* No prior lung cancer (NSCLC or small cell lung cancer)

PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:

* ECOG performance status (PS) 0-2 OR Karnofsky PS 60-100%
* WBC ≥ 3,000/mm³
* Absolute neutrophil count ≥ 1,500/mm³
* Platelet count ≥ 100,000/mm³
* Bilirubin normal
* AST and ALT ≤ 2.5 times upper limit of normal (ULN)
* Creatinine ≤ 1.5 times ULN
* Not pregnant or nursing
* Negative pregnancy test
* Fertile patients must use effective contraception
* No evidence of severe or uncontrolled systemic disease or any concurrent condition that, in the opinion of the investigator, would preclude study compliance
* No peripheral neuropathy ≥ grade 2
* No hemoptysis within the past 12 weeks
* No spontaneous bleeding within the past 12 weeks
* No clinically significant cardiac event (e.g., NYHA class II-IV heart disease, myocardial infarction) within the past 3 months
* No history of asymptomatic sustained ventricular tachycardia or arrhythmia that is symptomatic or requires treatment, including any of the following:

  * Multifocal premature ventricular contractions
  * Bigeminy
  * Trigeminy
  * Ventricular tachycardia
  * Uncontrolled atrial fibrillation

    * Atrial fibrillation controlled with medication allowed
* No history of QTc prolongation as a result from other medication that required discontinuation of that medication
* No congenital long QT syndrome or first-degree family relative with an unexplained death before the age of 40
* No left bundle branch block
* No QTc with Bazett's correction that is unmeasurable or QTc ≥ 480 milliseconds on screening ECG

  * Patients with QTc ≥ 480 milliseconds on screening ECG may have ECG repeated twice

    * Average QTc from the 3 screening ECG's must be \< 480 milliseconds
* No uncontrolled hypertension (systolic BP \> 160 mm Hg or diastolic BP \> 100 mm Hg)
* No active diarrhea or active gastrointestinal disease that may affect the absorption of study drugs or ability to tolerate study drugs
* No other malignancy within the past 3 years except in situ cervical carcinoma or adequately treated basal cell or squamous cell carcinoma of the skin

PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:

* More than 4 weeks since major surgery and recovered
* No prior carboplatin, paclitaxel, or vandetanib
* More than 30 days since prior investigational agents
* More than 2 weeks since prior and no concurrent drugs that induce CYP3A4 including, but not limited to, any of the following:

  * Rifampin
  * Phenytoin
  * Carbamazepine
  * Barbiturates
  * Hypericum perforatum (St. John's wort)
* No medication that may cause QTc prolongation or induce torsades de pointes for 2 weeks prior to beginning study treatment, during, and for 2 weeks after completion of study treatment
* No concurrent combination antiretroviral treatment for HIV-positive patients
* No other concurrent investigational agents