Inclusion Criteria

DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:

- Histologically confirmed malignant pleural mesothelioma

- All subtypes allowed

- T1-3, N0-1, M0 disease

- No N2 or N3 involvement confirmed by mediastinoscopy within 21 days before study
entry

- No clinical invasion of mediastinal structures (e.g., heart, aorta, spine, esophagus)

- No wide-spread chest wall invasion except focal chest wall lesions

- No clinical or radiological evidence of shrinking hemithorax

- No clinically significant third-space fluid (e.g., pleural effusions or ascites) that
cannot be managed with thoracentesis or pleurodesis

PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:

Age

- Under 70

Performance status

- WHO 0-1

Life expectancy

- Not specified

Hematopoietic

- WBC > 3,500/mm^3

- Absolute neutrophil count > 1,500/mm^3

- Platelet count > 100,000/mm^3

- Hemoglobin ≥ 11 g/dL

Hepatic

- AST and ALT < 1.5 times upper limit of normal (ULN)

- Bilirubin < 1.5 times ULN

- Alkaline phosphatase < 1.5 times ULN

Renal

- Creatinine clearance ≥ 60 mL/min

- Acceptable (predicted) post-radiotherapy renal function by semiquantitative isotope
renography, with a relative contribution of the contralateral kidney of ≥ 40%

Pulmonary

- See Disease Characteristics

Other

- Not pregnant or nursing

- Negative pregnancy test

- Fertile patients must use effective contraception during and for 3 months after
completion of study treatment

- Deemed to be fit enough to undergo study treatment

- No preexisting sensory neurotoxicity > grade 1

- No uncontrolled infection

- No prior or concurrent melanoma, breast cancer, or hypernephroma

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

- No psychological, familial, sociological, or geographical condition that would
preclude study compliance

PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:

Biologic therapy

- No concurrent immunotherapy

- No concurrent routine use of colony-stimulating factors during neoadjuvant
chemotherapy

- Concurrent secondary prophylactic use allowed during neoadjuvant chemotherapy

- No concurrent secondary prophylactic use of colony-stimulating factors during
post-operative radiotherapy

Chemotherapy

- No prior chemotherapy for mesothelioma

Endocrine therapy

- No concurrent hormonal cancer therapy

Radiotherapy

- No prior radiotherapy to the lower neck, thorax, or upper abdomen

Surgery

- See Disease Characteristics

Other

- No other concurrent anticancer therapy

- No other concurrent experimental medications

- No nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs or salicylates for 2 days before, during, and
2 days after administration of neoadjuvant chemotherapy (5 days before and 2 days
after for drugs with a long half-life [e.g., naproxen, piroxicam, diflunisal, or
nabumetone])