DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS: Histologically confirmed unresectable stage IIIA or IIIB non-small cell carcinoma of the lung Adenocarcinoma Squamous cell carcinoma Anaplastic large cell carcinoma Stage IIIA patients must not be candidates for resection after neoadjuvant therapy (unresectable T3N1 or T1-3 primary tumors with metastasis limited to the ipsilateral mediastinal and subcarinal lymph nodes) Mediastinotomy or thoracoscopy required for potentially resectable IIIa disease when ipsilateral mediastinal lymph nodes are less than 2 cm Stage IIIB patients must not have significant pleural effusion (seen on CT scan only OR does not reaccumulate after one thoracentesis and is cytologically negative) Metastases to contralateral mediastinal or supraclavicular nodes allowed Measurable or evaluable disease No distant metastasis or significant pleural effusion