Arsenic Trioxide in Treating Patients With Locally Advanced or Metastatic Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer

DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS: Histologically confirmed non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), meeting criteria for 1 of the following: Locally advanced disease not amenable to radiotherapy or surgery Metastatic disease Received at least 1 course of platinum-based (e.g., cisplatin or carboplatin) chemotherapy No uncontrolled central nervous system (CNS) metastases Ineligible for higher priority treatment protocols PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS: Age 18 and over Performance status Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) 0-1 OR Zubrod Scale 0-1 OR South West Oncology Group (SWOG) 0-1 Life expectancy At least 12 weeks Hematopoietic Absolute neutrophil count greater than 1,500/mm^3 Platelet count greater than 100,000/mm^3 Hepatic Bilirubin no greater than 1.5 times normal Serum glutamate oxaloacetate transaminase (SGOT) and Serum glutamate pyruvate transaminase (SGPT) no greater than 3 times normal Renal Creatinine no greater than 2.0 mg/dL Calcium no greater than 12 mg/dL Cardiovascular No myocardial infarction within the past 6 months No uncontrolled, clinically significant dysrhythmia Cardiac ejection fraction greater than 50% Other Not pregnant or nursing Negative pregnancy test Fertile patients must use effective contraception Electrolytes (including magnesium) normal No other malignancy within the past 5 years except nonmelanoma skin cancer or carcinoma in situ of the cervix No prior or ongoing peripheral neuropathy grade 2 or greater No other medical condition that would preclude study participation PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY: Biologic therapy No concurrent cytokine therapy Chemotherapy See Disease Characteristics No more than 2 prior chemotherapy regimens for NSCLC No other concurrent chemotherapy Endocrine therapy Not specified Radiotherapy More than 2 weeks since prior radiotherapy No prior radiotherapy to an indicator lesion unless there is objective evidence of tumor growth in that lesion No concurrent radiotherapy Concurrent palliative or emergent radiotherapy allowed Surgery More than 2 weeks since prior surgery Other At least 4 weeks since prior antineoplastic agents for non-malignant conditions (e.g., methotrexate for rheumatoid arthritis) No concurrent antineoplastic agents for non-malignant conditions