Inclusion Criteria

DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:

- Histologically or cytologically confirmed small cell lung cancer

- Extensive stage disease

- Newly diagnosed, treatment-naive disease

- At least 1 unidimensionally measurable lesion

- No massive pleural or pericardial effusion by chest CT scan

- Manageable effusions allowed

PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:

Age

- Over 18

Performance status

- ECOG 0-2

Life expectancy

- More than 3 months

Hematopoietic

- WBC ≥ 3,000/mm^3

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

- Hemoglobin ≥ 9.0 g/dL

Hepatic

- ALT or AST ≤ 2 times upper limit of normal

- Bilirubin ≤ 1.5 mg/dL

Renal

- Creatinine normal

Cardiovascular

- No myocardial infarction within the past year

- No uncontrolled hypertension

- No unstable angina

- No congestive heart failure

- No ventricular arrhythmia requiring medical intervention

- No other serious cardiovascular disease

Pulmonary

- Arterial oxygen pressure (Pa O_2) ≥ 70 mm Hg

- No interstitial pneumonitis or pulmonary fibrosis by chest x-ray

Other

- Not pregnant or nursing

- No uncontrolled diabetes

- No severe infection

- No paralytic or obstructive ileus

- No serious diarrhea

- No other malignancy within the past 5 years except adequately treated basal cell or
squamous cell skin cancer or carcinoma in situ of the cervix that is in complete
remission

PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:

Biologic therapy

- Not specified

Chemotherapy

- Not specified

Endocrine therapy

- Not specified

Radiotherapy

- No prior radiotherapy to the chest

- Other prior radiotherapy allowed

Surgery

- At least 2 weeks since prior surgery and recovered