Beta-Glucan in Treating Patients With Locally Advanced or Metastatic Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer

DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:

* Pathologically confirmed non-small cell lung cancer

  * Locally advanced or metastatic disease for which standard curative or palliative measures do not exist or are no longer effective
  * Unresectable disease
* No active or symptomatic brain metastases unless they were previously treated by radiotherapy or surgery, stabilized, AND off steroid therapy for ≥ 4 weeks

PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:

* Karnofsky performance status (PS) 50-100% OR ECOG PS 0-2
* Life expectancy \> 3 months
* WBC \> 2,000/mm³
* Absolute neutrophil count \> 1,000/mm³
* Platelet count \> 50,000/mm³
* Total bilirubin \< 1.5 times upper limit of normal (ULN)
* AST and ALT \< 2.5 times ULN
* Serum creatinine \< 2.5 mg/dL
* Not pregnant or nursing
* Negative pregnancy test
* Fertile patients must use effective contraception
* Must be able to swallow enteral medications (patients with feeding tubes are eligible)
* No condition or disease that affects gastrointestinal (GI) function or impairs the ability to take oral medications including any of the following:

  * GI tract disease
  * No intractable nausea or vomiting
  * Malabsorption syndrome
  * Requirement for IV alimentation
  * Prior surgical procedures effecting absorption
  * Uncontrolled inflammatory GI disease (e.g., Crohn disease, ulcerative colitis)
* No concurrent condition requiring the use of systemic or topical steroids or the use of immunosuppressive agents
* No history of allergic reactions attributed to compounds of similar chemical or biological composition to beta-glucan MM-10-001
* No uncontrolled concurrent illness including, but not limited to, any of the following:

  * Ongoing or active infection
  * Symptomatic congestive heart failure
  * Unstable angina pectoris
  * Cardiac arrhythmia
  * Psychiatric illness or social situation that would limit compliance with study requirements

PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:

* See Disease Characteristics
* More than 3 weeks since prior chemotherapy (6 weeks for nitrosoureas or mitomycin C) or radiotherapy and recovered

  * Concurrent palliative radiotherapy for symptoms control allowed
* At least 2 weeks since prior corticosteroids and no concurrent systemic or topical steroids
* At least 7 days since prior antioxidant supplements (vitamin C and E)
* No other concurrent investigational agents

  * Bisphosphonate therapy (e.g., pamidronate or zoledronate) allowed
* No concurrent over-the-counter or dietary supplement containing beta-glucan (e.g., mushroom extracts, "lentinan" products, dried mushrooms) or other mushroom-derived powders, liquids, capsules, gels, or any other dosage form
* No concurrent use of immunosuppressive agents (e.g., cyclosporine and its analog)
* No concurrent darbepoetin alfa or epoetin alfa
* No concurrent colony-stimulating factors
* No concurrent antiretroviral therapy for HIV-positive patients