Inclusion Criteria

DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:

- Diagnosis of stage I or II non-small cell lung cancer with complete resection of all
disease

- Must be free of recurrent or progressive disease

- Current smoker defined as:

- Smoked at least 100 cigarettes in entire life AND

- Currently smoking some days or every day

- Must establish a quit date that falls within 30 days after registration, but 7 days
after physician advice and start of bupropion or placebo therapy

PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:

Age:

- 18 and over

Performance status:

- Zubrod 0-2

Life expectancy:

- Not specified

Hematopoietic:

- Not specified

Hepatic:

- Not specified

Renal:

- Not specified

Cardiovascular:

- Not within an immediate post-infarction period

- No uncontrolled arrhythmias

- No unstable angina

- No uncontrolled hypertension (unstable blood pressure, diastolic pressure 90 mm Hg or
greater)

Other:

- Must be able to read, speak, and understand English

- Must be willing to allow testing of saliva for cotinine levels

- No history of seizures

- No history of eating disorders

- No known drug-drug interactions between nicotine patch and/or bupropion and patient's
current or planned medications including chemotherapy and antiemetics

- No concurrent psychiatric diagnosis that would preclude study compliance

PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:

Biologic therapy:

- Not specified

Chemotherapy:

- Concurrent adjuvant chemotherapy allowed

Endocrine therapy:

- No concurrent systemic steroids

Radiotherapy:

- Concurrent adjuvant radiotherapy allowed

Surgery:

- See Disease Characteristics

- Recovered from prior surgery

Other:

- Prior neoadjuvant therapy allowed

- At least 14 days since prior medications containing bupropion (e.g., Wellbutrin or
Wellbutrin SR)

- No other concurrent medications that contain bupropion (e.g., Wellbutrin or
Wellbutrin SR)

- No concurrent monoamine oxidase inhibitors

- No concurrent medications that lower seizure threshold (e.g., antipsychotics,
antidepressants, or theophylline)

- No other concurrent nicotine replacement therapy