PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS: Age: Over 18 Performance status: ZUBROD/ECOG/WHO 0-2 (after palliative measures such as pleural drainage) Life expectancy: Not specified Hematopoietic: Hemoglobin at least 10.0 g/dL WBC at least 4,000/mm3 Absolute neutrophil count at least 2,000/mm3 Platelet count at least 100,000/mm3 Hepatic: Bilirubin less than 1.46 mg/dL Albumin at least 3.0 g/dL ALT and AST less than 2.5 times upper limit of normal (ULN) (less than 5 times ULN if liver involvement) Renal: Creatinine less than 1.69 mg/dL Creatinine clearance at least 65 mL/min Other: No other malignancies (including melanoma, hypernephroma, or breast carcinoma) within the past 5 years except basal cell or squamous cell skin cancer or carcinoma in situ of the cervix Not pregnant or nursing Fertile patients must use effective contraception No uncontrolled infection No psychologic, familial, sociologic, or geographic condition that could interfere with compliance