Cetuximab in Treating Patients With Recurrent or Stage IIIB or Stage IV Lung Cancer

INCLUSION CRITERIA: * Histologically or cytologically confirmed bronchoalveolar carcinoma (BAC) or adenocarcinoma of the lung with BAC features meeting 1 of the following stage criteria: * Stage IIIB disease (with pleural or pericardial effusion) * Stage IV disease * Recurrent disease * Measurable disease * Tumor tissue available from biopsy * Age of 18 and over * ECOG performance status of 0-2 * Life expectancy greater than 3 months * White blood cell (WBC) ≥ 3,000/mm\^3 * Absolute neutrophil count ≥ 1,500/mm\^3 * Platelet count ≥ 100,000/mm\^3 * Bilirubin normal * Aspartate aminotransferase (AST) and/or alanine aminotranferease (ALT) ≤ 2.5 times upper limit of normal * Creatinine normal OR Creatinine clearance ≥ 60 mL/min * No more than 1 prior chemotherapy regimen for advanced BAC * More than 3 years since prior chemotherapy for other malignancies * At least 3 weeks since prior chemotherapy (6 weeks for nitrosoureas or mitomycin) for this malignancy and recovered * HIV-positive patients are eligible provided the following criteria are met: * CD4 count ≥ 100/mm\^3 * Undetectable viral load within the past 3 months * Receiving a stable antiretroviral regimen for ≥ 4 weeks before study entry * Fertile patients must use effective contraception * At least 2 weeks since prior radiotherapy and recovered EXCLUSION CRITERIA: * Untreated brain metastases * Patients with stable brain metastases ≥ 4 weeks after external beam radiotherapy to the brain are eligible * Acute hepatitis * Symptomatic congestive heart failure * Uncontrolled hypertension * Unstable angina pectoris * Cardiac arrhythmia * Pregnant or nursing * Prior allergic reaction to chimerized or murine monoclonal antibody therapy * Documented presence of human anti-mouse antibodies * Ongoing or active infection * Psychiatric illness or social situation that would preclude study compliance * Other uncontrolled illness * Prior cetuximab * Concurrent filgrastim (G-CSF) or sargramostim (GM-CSF) * Other prior known epidermal growth factor receptor inhibitors (e.g., gefitinib or erlotinib) * Other concurrent investigational agents * Other concurrent anticancer therapy

Reproduced word-for-word from the public registry record — the study team can answer questions about it.