Carboplatin, Ixabepilone, and Cetuximab in Patients With Stage III or Stage IV Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer Previously Untreated With Chemotherapy

DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:

* Histologically or cytologically confirmed non-small cell lung cancer

  * Chemotherapy-naive
  * Stage IIIB disease not amenable to surgery with pleural effusion, pericardial effusion, or not a candidate for chemoradiotherapy
  * Stage IV disease
* Must have pathology block or unstained slides from initial or subsequent diagnosis

  * Diagnosis made via a core biopsy (not a fine-needle aspirate) required
* Measurable disease as defined by RECIST guidelines

  * For patient who received prior radiotherapy, evaluable disease must be outside of the radiation field, or have new lesions that developed within the radiation field
* Brain metastasis allowed provided it has been treated and determined to be controlled by the treating physician
* No IgE cetuximab antibody

PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:

* ECOG performance status 0-1
* ANC ≥ 1,500/mm\^3
* Platelet count ≥ 100,000/mm\^3
* Hemoglobin ≥ 8.0 g/dL
* Creatinine \< 2.0 times upper limit of normal (ULN)
* AST and ALT ≤ 2.5 times ULN (≤ 5 times ULN in the presence of hepatic metastasis)
* Bilirubin ≤ 1.5 times ULN
* Prior malignancy allowed provided the treating physician determines that the patient's life expectancy is best defined by diagnosis of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC)
* Not pregnant or nursing
* Negative pregnancy test
* Fertile patients must use effective contraception
* No peripheral neuropathy ≥ grade 2 by NCI CTCAE v. 3.0
* No prior severe allergic reaction to any of the following:

  * Carboplatin
  * Taxane therapy
  * Monoclonal antibody
  * Hypersensitivity (NCI CTCAE grade3-4) to a drug formulated in Cremophor® EL (polyoxyethylated castor oil)
* No active or uncontrolled infection
* No significant history of uncontrolled cardiac disease including, but not limited to, any of the following:

  * Uncontrolled hypertension
  * Unstable angina
  * Myocardial infarction within the past 6 months
  * Uncontrolled congestive heart failure
  * Cardiomyopathy with decreased ejection fraction
* No underlying interstitial lung disease

PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:

* See Disease Characteristics
* At least 1 week since prior and no concurrent therapeutic radiotherapy

  * Palliative radiotherapy for painful bone lesions allowed
* At least 6 months since prior adjuvant chemotherapy
* No investigational agent(s) within the past 30 days
* Not requiring concurrent treatment with any of the following:

  * Ketoconazole
  * Itraconazole
  * Ritonavir
  * Amprenavir
  * Indinavir
  * Nelfinavir
  * Delavirdine
  * Voriconazole
* No other concurrent chemotherapy or cetuximab