Inclusion Criteria

DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:

- Histologically or cytologically confirmed non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), meeting
1 of the following stage criteria:

- Stage IIIB disease

- Patients without pleural effusion who are not candidates for combined
modality treatment OR who were treated at centers where combined modality
treatment is not considered standard treatment are eligible

- Stage IV disease

- Measurable disease (phase II)

- Measurable disease, defined as ≥ 1 unidimensionally measurable lesion ≥ 20 mm by
x-ray, ultrasound, physical exam, or conventional CT scan OR ≥ 10 mm by spiral
CT scan

- Measurable lesions must be outside a previous radiotherapy field if they are the
sole site of disease, unless disease progression has been documented

- No significant central thoracic lesion with any appreciable cavitation

- Measurable or nonmeasurable disease (phase III)

- No necrotic or hemorrhagic tumor or metastases

- No untreated brain or meningeal metastases

- CT scans are not required to rule out disease unless there is clinical suspicion
of CNS disease

- Patients with previously treated stable brain metastases (by radiography or
clinical exam) are eligible provided they are asymptomatic and do not require
corticosteroids

PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:

Performance status

- ECOG 0-1

Life expectancy

- Not specified

Hematopoietic

- Absolute granulocyte count ≥ 1,500/mm^3

- Platelet count ≥ 100,000/mm^3

- No overt bleeding (i.e., ≥ 30 mL/episode) within the past 3 months

Hepatic

- Bilirubin ≤ 1.5 times upper limit of normal (ULN)

- ALT ≤ 2 times ULN (< 5 times ULN if liver metastases are present)

Renal

- Creatinine clearance ≥ 50 mL/min

- Proteinuria ≤ grade 1

Cardiovascular

- Mean QTc ≤ 470 msec (with Bazett's correction) by ECG

- No unstable angina

- No congestive heart failure

- No myocardial infarction within the past year

- No cardiac ventricular arrhythmias requiring medication

- No history of 2nd- or 3rd-degree atrioventricular conduction defects

- No untreated or uncontrolled cardiovascular condition

- No symptomatic cardiac dysfunction

- No uncontrolled hypertension (i.e., resting blood pressure ≥ 150/100 mm Hg despite
antihypertensive therapy)

- No history of labile hypertension

- No history of poor compliance with antihypertensive medication

- No history of familial long-QT syndrome

Pulmonary

- No clinically relevant hemoptysis (i.e., ≥ 5 mL fresh blood) within the past 4 weeks

- Flecks of blood only in sputum allowed

Other

- Not pregnant or nursing

- Negative pregnancy test

- Fertile patients must use effective (double method for females; barrier method for
males) contraception

- Able and willing to participate in the quality of life assessment

- No peripheral neuropathy > grade 1

- No prior allergic reaction to drugs containing Cremophor EL®

- No active or uncontrolled infection

- No serious illness or medical condition which would preclude study compliance

- No inflammatory bowel disease (e.g., Crohn's disease or ulcerative colitis)

- No other malignancy within the past 5 years except basal cell or squamous cell skin
cancer or in situ cancer

PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:

Biologic therapy

- At least 14 days since prior epidermal growth factor receptor-inhibitor therapy
(e.g., tyrosine kinase inhibitor, monoclonal antibodies, vaccines, or other agents)

- No prior antiangiogenesis therapy, including any of the following:

- Bevacizumab

- Cediranib maleate

- AZD6474

- PTK787/ZK222584 (PTK/ZK)

- Sunitinib malate

- Concurrent epoetin alfa allowed

Chemotherapy

- At least 12 months since prior adjuvant chemotherapy

- Combined chemotherapy and radiotherapy regimens for locally advanced stage IIIB
disease is not considered adjuvant therapy and is not allowed

- No prior chemotherapy for metastatic or recurrent NSCLC

Endocrine therapy

- See Disease Characteristics

- At least 1 week since prior steroids

Radiotherapy

- See Disease Characteristics

- At least 21 days since prior radiotherapy except for low-dose non-myelosuppressive
radiotherapy with approval

- Concurrent palliative radiotherapy allowed with approval

Surgery

- At least 14 days since prior major surgery

Other

- Recovered from prior therapy

- Prior treatment with cyclooxygenase-2 inhibitors allowed

- Concurrent prophylactic anticoagulation (e.g., warfarin) allowed provided
requirements for INR are met

- No potent inhibitors of CYP3A4 and 2C8, including any of the following drugs:

- Amiodarone hydrochloride

- Clarithromycin

- Citalopram hydrobromide

- Erythromycin

- Omeprazole

- Simvastatin

- Atorvastatin

- Lovastatin

- Montelukast sodium

- Verapamil hydrochloride

- Ketoconazole

- Miconazole

- Indinovir and other antivrails

- Diltiazem

- No other concurrent experimental drug or anticancer therapy