Inclusion Criteria:

- Histologically confirmed non-small cell lung cancer

- Squamous cell carcinoma

- Adenocarcinoma (including bronchoalveolar)

- Large cell carcinoma (including giant and clear cell carcinomas)

- Stage IIIA (T1 or T2, N2) or IIIB disease not amenable to resection or surgery

- T3, N2 or T4, N0-N2 disease also allowed if based on the closeness to the carina,
invasion of the mediastinum, or invasion of the chest wall

- T3, N0-N1 disease allowed provided the disease is not amenable for surgical resection

- No M1 disease

- No disease invasion of a vertebral body

- Tumors adjacent to a vertebral body allowed provided all gross disease can be
encompassed in the radiotherapy boost field and there is no bone invasion

- Contralateral mediastinal disease (N3) allowed if all gross disease can be
encompassed in the radiotherapy boost field

- Pleural effusion that is transudative, cytologically negative, and non-bloody allowed
if the tumor can be encompassed in a reasonable field of radiotherapy

- No exudative, bloody, or cytologically malignant effusions

- Effusions present on CT scans but not on chest x-ray (CXR) and too small for
thoracentesis are allowed

- Measurable or evaluable disease

- Pleural effusions are not considered measurable or evaluable

- Measurable disease is defined as any mass in 2 perpendicular diameters by CXR,
CT scan, or MRI

- Evaluable disease includes lesions apparent on CXR or CT scan that are:

- Ill-defined masses associated with post-obstructive changes

- Mediastinal or hilar adenopathy measurable in only one dimension

- Performance status - ECOG 0-1

- Performance status - Karnofsky 70-100%

- More than 6 months

- WBC at least 3,000/mm^3

- Absolute neutrophil count at least 1,500/mm^3

- Platelet count at least 100,000/mm^3

- Bilirubin normal

- AST and ALT no greater than 1.5 times upper limit of normal (ULN) and alkaline
phosphatase normal

- AST and ALT normal and alkaline phosphatase no greater than 2.5 times ULN

- Creatinine normal

- Creatinine clearance at least 50 mL/min

- No symptomatic congestive heart failure

- No unstable angina pectoris

- No cardiac arrhythmia

- No history of cornea abnormalities (e.g., dry-eye syndrome, Sjögren's syndrome)

- No congenital abnormality (e.g., Fuch's dystrophy)

- No abnormal slit-lamp examination using a vital dye (e.g., fluorescein, Bengal-Rose)

- No abnormal corneal sensitivity test (e.g., Schirmer test or similar tear production
test)

- No gastrointestinal tract disease resulting in the inability to take oral medications

- No required IV alimentation

- No peptic ulcer disease

- Not pregnant or nursing

- Negative pregnancy test

- Fertile patients must use effective contraception

- No history of allergy to compounds of similar chemical or biologic composition to
erlotinib or other study agents

- No significant traumatic injury within the past 21 days

- No other uncontrolled concurrent illness

- No ongoing or active infection

- No psychiatric illness or social situation that would preclude study compliance

- No other active malignancy within the past 6 months except non-melanoma skin cancer

- No concurrent colony-stimulating factors (filgrastim [G-CSF] or sargramostim
[GM-CSF]) with radiotherapy

- No prior chemotherapy for lung cancer

- See Disease Characteristics

- No prior chest radiotherapy

- See Disease Characteristics

- At least 7 days since prior mediastinoscopy

- More than 3 weeks since prior formal exploratory thoracotomy

- More than 3 weeks since prior major surgery

- No prior surgical procedures affecting absorption

- No prior epidermal growth factor receptor-targeting therapies

- No other concurrent investigational or commercial agents or therapies directed at
malignancy

- No concurrent combination antiretroviral therapy for HIV-positive patients