OBJECTIVES: I. Assess the feasibility and toxic effects of 2 courses of cisplatin/etoposide given concurrently with continuous, fractionated chest irradiation followed by surgical resection and boost chemotherapy in patients with Pancoast tumors without mediastinal or supraclavicular nodal involvement. II. Assess the objective response rate, resectability rate, and proportion of patients free of microscopic residual disease after such treatment.