Gemcitabine Hydrochloride or Pemetrexed Disodium and Carboplatin With or Without Celecoxib in Treating Patients With Advanced Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer

DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:

* Histologically or cytologically confirmed non-small cell carcinoma of the lung, including the following cell types:

  * Adenocarcinoma
  * Large cell carcinoma
  * Squamous cell carcinoma
  * Mixture of these types
* A tissue block must be available at the time of registration
* Tumor expresses COX-2 (COX-2 index ≥ 2)
* Stage IIIB disease with malignant pleural effusion, supraclavicular node involvement, or contralateral hilar node involvement OR stage IV disease

  * Patients with stage IIIB disease who are eligible for clinical trials that involve combined chemotherapy and chest irradiation are not eligible for this study
* Patients with stage IV disease are eligible
* Patients with recurrent disease, not amenable to (or refusing) a potentially "curative therapy," are eligible
* Measurable or non-measurable disease

  * Measurable disease is defined as lesions that can be accurately measured in ≥ 1 dimension (longest diameter to be recorded) as ≥ 2 cm with conventional techniques or as ≥ 1 cm with spiral CT scan
  * Non-measurable disease is defined as all other lesions, including small lesions (longest diameter \< 20 mm with conventional techniques or \< 10 mm with spiral CT scan) and truly nonmeasurable lesions, including any of the following:

    * Bone lesions
    * Leptomeningeal disease
    * Ascites
    * Pleural/pericardial effusion
    * Inflammatory breast disease
    * Lymphangitis cutis/pulmonis
    * Abdominal masses that are not confirmed and followed by imaging techniques
    * Cystic lesions
* Patients with symptomatic CNS metastases are eligible provided they received prior therapy (e.g., surgery, radiotherapy, or gamma knife), are neurologically stable, and are off steroids for ≥ 14 days before study entry

  * Patients with asymptomatic CNS metastases without associated edema, shift, or requirement for steroids or antiseizure medications may be eligible after discussion with the Study Chair
  * Patients should be off steroids at least 7 days before preregistration
* No leptomeningeal disease or carcinomatous meningitis

PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:

* ECOG performance status 0-2
* Granulocytes ≥ 1,500/μL
* Platelet count ≥ 100,000/μL
* Creatinine clearance ≥ 45 mL/min
* Bilirubin ≤ 1.5 mg/dL
* AST and ALT ≤ 2.0 times upper limit of normal (ULN) (≤ 5.0 times ULN if liver metastases are present)
* Serum albumin ≥ 2.5 mg/dL
* Not pregnant or nursing
* Negative pregnancy test
* No "currently active" second malignancy other than non-melanoma skin cancer

  * Patients are not considered to have a "currently active" malignancy if they have completed therapy and are considered by their physician to be at \< 30% risk of relapse
* No known hypersensitivity to aspirin, NSAIDs, or sulfonamides
* No active ulcer disease

  * No history of gastrointestinal bleeding within the past three years
* None of the following cardiovascular conditions within the past 6 months:

  * Myocardial infarction
  * Unstable angina
  * Symptomatic congestive heart failure
  * Serious uncontrolled cardiac arrhythmia
  * Cerebrovascular accident or transient ischemic attack
  * Pulmonary embolism
  * Symptomatic carotid artery or peripheral vascular disease
  * Deep vein thrombosis
  * Other significant thromboembolic event

PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:

* See Disease Characteristics
* No prior chemotherapy, immunotherapy, or other systemic therapy for non-small cell lung cancer, including adjuvant therapy
* At least 2 weeks since prior surgery and recovered
* At least 7 days since prior radiotherapy
* At least 14 days since prior NSAIDs (other than low-dose aspirin \[≤ 325 mg daily\]), including any of the following:

  * Celecoxib
  * Choline Mg
  * Trisalicylate (Trilisate®)
  * Ibuprofen (Advil® or Motrin®)
  * Naproxen (Aleve®, Naprosyn® or Anaprox®)
  * Etodolac (Lodine®)
  * Oxaprozin (Daypro®)
  * Diflunisal (Dolobid®)
  * Nabumetone (Relafen®)
  * Tolmetin (Tolectin®)
  * Valdecoxib (Bextra®)
* No chronic use of NSAIDs (i.e., \> 4 weeks of daily use)

  * Patients on low-dose aspirin are eligible
* No other concurrent chemotherapy or hormonal therapy (other than megestrol acetate \[Megace\] for appetite stimulation)
* No other concurrent investigational therapy