Gemcitabine Hydrochloride and Carboplatin With or Without MK-0646 as First-Line Therapy in Treating Patients With Stage IIIB or Stage IV Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer

DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS: * Histologically or cytologically confirmed squamous cell non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) * Squamous histology mixed with other NSCLC component (e.g. adenosquamous) allowed * No mixed histology with small cell component * Stage IV disease * Candidate for palliative chemotherapy * Measurable disease, defined as ≥ 1 lesion whose longest diameter can be accurately measured as ≥ 2.0 cm by chest X-ray OR as ≥ 1.0 cm by CT scan, CT component of a PET/CT scan, or MRI * If the sole site of disease was previously irradiated, there must be evidence of disease progression at that site * No symptomatic, untreated, or uncontrolled CNS metastases * Concurrent enrollment on NCCTG-N0392 required PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS: * ECOG performance status 0-2 * Life expectancy ≥ 12 weeks * ANC ≥ 1,500/μL * Platelet count ≥ 100,000/μL * Hemoglobin ≥ 9 g/dL * Total bilirubin normal (\< 3.0 mg/dL for patients with Gilbert syndrome) * ALT and AST ≤ 2.5 times upper limit of normal (ULN) * Alkaline phosphatase ≤ 5 times ULN * Creatinine clearance ≤ 1.2 times ULN OR calculated creatinine clearance ≥ 60 mL/min * Fasting glucose \< 120 mg/dL * HbA1c ≤ 7% * INR \< 1.5 OR PT/PTT normal (patients receiving anticoagulation therapy with an agent such as warfarin or prophylactic-dose heparin are eligible provided the patient meets the above criteria at the patient's stable dose of anticoagulants) * QTc \< 450 msec and no conduction abnormalities (e.g., heart block) on EKG * Isolated premature ventricular or atrial conduction beats allowed * Not pregnant or nursing * Negative pregnancy test * Fertile patients must use effective contraception * Willing and able to comply with study * Willing to return to NCCTG participating center for follow-up * Willing to provide blood samples as required by study * Able to complete questionnaire(s) alone or with assistance * No clinically significant infection * No significant traumatic injury within the past 4 weeks * No symptomatic, untreated, or uncontrolled seizure disorder * No uncontrolled diabetes mellitus, defined as fasting blood glucose ≥ 120 mg/dL on 2 consecutive measurements (taken ≤ 2 weeks apart) or by patient's clinical history * No other uncontrolled illness including, but not limited to, any of the following: * Ongoing or active infection * Significant pulmonary symptoms at baseline due to disease * Symptomatic congestive heart failure * Unstable angina pectoris * Cardiac arrhythmia * Psychiatric illness/social situation that would limit compliance with study requirements * No second primary malignancy, except for any of the following: * Carcinoma in situ of the cervix * Nonmelanomatous skin cancer * Other malignancy that was diagnosed and definitively treated ≥ 5 years ago with no subsequent evidence of recurrence * History of low-grade (Gleason score ≤ 6) localized prostate cancer, even if diagnosed within the past 5 years * Stage I breast cancer that was treated within the past 5 years * No HIV-positivity and no history of chronic hepatitis B or C (regardless of viral load) * No evidence or history of bleeding diathesis or coagulopathy PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY: * See Disease Characteristics * No prior chemotherapy for advanced lung cancer, except neoadjuvant therapy, adjuvant therapy, or chemoradiotherapy for lung cancer administered \> 12 months ago * More than 12 months since prior gemcitabine hydrochloride, cisplatin, or carboplatin * More than 12 months since prior immunotherapy or biologic therapy * At least 1 week since prior gamma knife radiosurgery for brain metastases or palliative radiotherapy for skeletal metastases and recovered * At least 2 weeks since prior whole-brain radiotherapy for CNS metastases and recovered * More than 2 weeks since other prior radiotherapy * No prior radiotherapy to ≥ 25% of bone marrow * More than 2 weeks since prior minor surgery\* * More than 4 weeks since prior major surgery (e.g., laparotomy)\* * No other concurrent anticancer drugs or therapy * No concurrent therapeutic anticoagulation * Prophylactic anticoagulation (i.e., low-dose warfarin) of venous or arterial access devices allowed provided the requirements for PT, INR, or PTT are met * Concurrent radiotherapy for symptom palliation allowed * Concurrent megestrol acetate for appetite allowed NOTE: \*Insertion of a vascular access device is not considered major or minor surgery