OUTLINE: Patients receive infusions of docetaxel over 1 hour on day 1, followed by infusions of cisplatin over 1 hour on days 1-2. Treatment is repeated for three 21 day courses. Patients undergo tumor resection and mediastinal lymph node dissection. Patients are to receive postoperative radiotherapy within 4 weeks of resection if the tumor reaches the resection margins and/or the first mediastinal lymph node levels are involved. Patients will be followed until death.