Surgery and Photodynamic Therapy in Treating Patients With Malignant Mesothelioma

DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS: Histologically or cytologically confirmed malignant mesothelioma, including the following cell types: Mixed mesothelial Sarcomatous Stage I or II disease using the Butchart system as determined by CT scan or MRI Disease confined to 1 hemithorax No tumor involvement of esophagus or heart as evidenced by CT scan Pericardial or diaphragmatic involvement allowed if disease is limited to the ipsilateral chest N2 disease allowed if no contralateral pleural involvement No adenocarcinoma or nonmesothelioma sarcoma of the chest wall PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS: Age 18 and over Performance status ECOG 0-2 Life expectancy Not specified Hematopoietic WBC greater than 4,000/mm^3 Platelet count greater than 100,000/mm^3 Hemoglobin greater than 8.5 g/dL (transfusion allowed) Hepatic Bilirubin less than 3.0 mg/dL Alkaline phosphatase less than 2 times upper limit of normal (ULN) SGOT less than 2 times ULN Renal Creatinine less than 3.0 mg/dL Cardiovascular No myocardial infarction within the past 6 months Pulmonary Arterial partial pressure of carbon dioxide (pCO_2) less than 50 torr at rest Predicted postoperative FEV_1 at least 800 mL with maximum oxygen consumption/kg at least 15 mL/min Predicted postoperative total lung capacity at least 40% of hemoglobin and alveolar ventilation Other Not pregnant No other concurrent malignancy except nonmelanoma skin cancer No contraindication to general anesthetic No history of porphyria No indicated sensitivity to porfimer sodium PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY: Biologic therapy Not specified Chemotherapy More than 30 days since prior chemotherapy Endocrine therapy Not specified Radiotherapy No prior radiotherapy to the chest No prior radiotherapy for mesothelioma Surgery Not specified