Erlotinib in Treating Patients With Advanced Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer

DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:

• Histologically confirmed bronchoalveolar cell (or a variant) non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC)

  • Stage IIIB (malignant pleural or pericardial effusion) disease
  • Stage IV disease
  • Recurrent and/or medically inoperable disease
• Measurable or evaluable indicator lesions
• No uncontrolled CNS metastases (i.e., any known CNS lesion that is radiographically unstable, symptomatic, and/or requiring escalating doses of corticosteroids)

PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:

• ECOG performance status (PS) 0-1 OR Karnofsky PS 80-100%
• Life expectancy ≥ 8 weeks
• WBC ≥ 3,000/mm³
• Hemoglobin ≥ 9.0 g/dL
• Platelet count ≥ 100,000/mm³
• Bilirubin ≤ 1.0 mg/dL
• AST ≤ 2 times upper limit of normal
• Creatinine ≤ 1.5 mg/dL OR creatinine clearance ≥ 55 mL/min
• Not pregnant or nursing
• Fertile patients must use effective contraception

• No significant medical history or unstable medical condition, including any of the following:

  • Unstable systemic disease
  • Congestive heart failure
  • Recent myocardial infarction
  • Unstable angina
  • Active infection
  • Uncontrolled hypertension
• No other active malignancies within the past 5 years except for adequately treated carcinoma of the cervix or basal cell or squamous cell skin cancer

PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:

• See Disease Characteristics
• At least 3 weeks since prior radiation therapy to a major bone marrow-containing area
• At least 3 weeks since prior chemotherapy
• No more than 1 prior chemotherapy regimen for NSCLC
• No prior systemic cytotoxic chemotherapy for other malignant diseases
• No prior erlotinib hydrochloride or other agents targeting the HER family (e.g., cetuximab, trastuzumab [Herceptin®], or gefitinib)
• No concurrent radiotherapy or chemotherapy