Erlotinib and Radiation Therapy Plus Combination Chemotherapy in Treating Patients With Inoperable Stage III Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer

Inclusion Criteria: * Histologically confirmed non-small cell lung cancer * Squamous cell carcinoma * Adenocarcinoma (including bronchoalveolar) * Large cell carcinoma (including giant and clear cell carcinomas) * Stage IIIA (T1 or T2, N2) or IIIB disease not amenable to resection or surgery * T3, N2 or T4, N0-N2 disease also allowed if based on the closeness to the carina, invasion of the mediastinum, or invasion of the chest wall * T3, N0-N1 disease allowed provided the disease is not amenable for surgical resection * No M1 disease * No disease invasion of a vertebral body * Tumors adjacent to a vertebral body allowed provided all gross disease can be encompassed in the radiotherapy boost field and there is no bone invasion * Contralateral mediastinal disease (N3) allowed if all gross disease can be encompassed in the radiotherapy boost field * Pleural effusion that is transudative, cytologically negative, and non-bloody allowed if the tumor can be encompassed in a reasonable field of radiotherapy * No exudative, bloody, or cytologically malignant effusions * Effusions present on CT scans but not on chest x-ray (CXR) and too small for thoracentesis are allowed * Measurable or evaluable disease * Pleural effusions are not considered measurable or evaluable * Measurable disease is defined as any mass in 2 perpendicular diameters by CXR, CT scan, or MRI * Evaluable disease includes lesions apparent on CXR or CT scan that are: * Ill-defined masses associated with post-obstructive changes * Mediastinal or hilar adenopathy measurable in only one dimension * Performance status - ECOG 0-1 * Performance status - Karnofsky 70-100% * More than 6 months * WBC at least 3,000/mm\^3 * Absolute neutrophil count at least 1,500/mm\^3 * Platelet count at least 100,000/mm\^3 * Bilirubin normal * AST and ALT no greater than 1.5 times upper limit of normal (ULN) and alkaline phosphatase normal * AST and ALT normal and alkaline phosphatase no greater than 2.5 times ULN * Creatinine normal * Creatinine clearance at least 50 mL/min * No symptomatic congestive heart failure * No unstable angina pectoris * No cardiac arrhythmia * No history of cornea abnormalities (e.g., dry-eye syndrome, Sjögren's syndrome) * No congenital abnormality (e.g., Fuch's dystrophy) * No abnormal slit-lamp examination using a vital dye (e.g., fluorescein, Bengal-Rose) * No abnormal corneal sensitivity test (e.g., Schirmer test or similar tear production test) * No gastrointestinal tract disease resulting in the inability to take oral medications * No required IV alimentation * No peptic ulcer disease * Not pregnant or nursing * Negative pregnancy test * Fertile patients must use effective contraception * No history of allergy to compounds of similar chemical or biologic composition to erlotinib or other study agents * No significant traumatic injury within the past 21 days * No other uncontrolled concurrent illness * No ongoing or active infection * No psychiatric illness or social situation that would preclude study compliance * No other active malignancy within the past 6 months except non-melanoma skin cancer * No concurrent colony-stimulating factors (filgrastim \[G-CSF\] or sargramostim \[GM-CSF\]) with radiotherapy * No prior chemotherapy for lung cancer * See Disease Characteristics * No prior chest radiotherapy * See Disease Characteristics * At least 7 days since prior mediastinoscopy * More than 3 weeks since prior formal exploratory thoracotomy * More than 3 weeks since prior major surgery * No prior surgical procedures affecting absorption * No prior epidermal growth factor receptor-targeting therapies * No other concurrent investigational or commercial agents or therapies directed at malignancy * No concurrent combination antiretroviral therapy for HIV-positive patients