OBJECTIVES: Primary * Determine the 1-year progression-free survival of patients with limited-stage small cell lung cancer treated with bevacizumab, cisplatin, etoposide, and radiotherapy. Secondary * Determine the toxicity of this regimen in these patients. * Determine the response rate in patients treated with this regimen. OUTLINE: This is a multicenter study. Patients receive cisplatin IV over 30-60 minutes and bevacizumab IV over 30-90 minutes on day 1 and etoposide IV over 60 minutes on days 1-3. Treatment repeats every 21 days for 4 courses in the absence of disease progression or unacceptable toxicity. During course 1, patients also undergo thoracic radiotherapy twice daily on days 1-5, 8-12, and 15-19. Patients achieving a complete or partial response or stable disease after the first 4 courses of chemotherapy continue to receive bevacizumab IV over 30-90 minutes on day 1. Treatment with bevacizumab repeats every 21 days for up to 1 year in the absence of disease progression or unacceptable toxicity. Within 4-6 weeks after blood counts recover from the first 4 courses of chemotherapy, patients achieving a complete or partial response also undergo prophylactic cranial irradiation (PCI) in 10 fractions over 3 weeks.\* NOTE: \*Bevacizumab should not be given for 3 weeks prior to or during PCI, but resumed 1 week after completion of PCI. After completion of study treatment, patients are followed periodically for 10 years. PROJECTED ACCRUAL: A total of 79 patients will be accrued for this study.
DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS: * Histologically or cytologically confirmed small cell lung cancer (SCLC) * Limited-stage disease, defined as SCLC confined to ≥ 1 of the following: * One hemithorax * Ipsilateral supraclavicular fossa * Measurable disease * No malignant pleural effusion, contralateral hilar disease, or contralateral supraclavicular disease * Minimal pleural effusion visible on CT scan of the chest, but not evident on chest x-ray, allowed * No completely surgically resected disease * No CNS disease, including primary brain tumor or brain metastasis PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS: * ECOG performance status 0-2 * Absolute granulocyte count ≥ 1,500/mm³ * Platelet count ≥ 100,000/mm³ * Bilirubin ≤ 1.5 mg/dL * Creatinine ≤ 1.5 mg/dL * Urine protein:creatinine ratio ≤ 0.5 OR 24-hour urine protein \< 1,000 mg * Not pregnant or nursing * Negative pregnancy test * Fertile patients must use effective contraception during and for ≥ 6 months after completion of study treatment * INR ≤ 1.5 (unless on full-dose anticoagulants) * No active serious infection * No serious or nonhealing wound * No ulcer or bone fracture * No evidence of bleeding diatheses or coagulopathy * No hemoptysis * No known hypersensitivity to Chinese hamster ovary cell products and/or other recombinant human antibodies * No clinically significant cardiovascular disease, including any of the following: * Uncontrolled hypertension * New York Heart Association class II-IV congestive heart failure * Serious cardiac arrhythmia requiring medication * Unstable angina pectoris * Symptomatic peripheral vascular disease * Cerebrovascular accident within the past 6 months * Symptomatic heart disease within the past 6 months * Myocardial infarction within the past 6 months * Unstable angina within the past 6 months * No abdominal fistula, gastrointestinal perforation, or intra-abdominal abscess within the past 4 weeks * No significant traumatic injury within the past 4 weeks PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY: * At least 4 weeks since prior major surgery or open biopsy * At least 1 week since prior core biopsy * No prior chemotherapy or radiotherapy for small cell lung cancer * No concurrent major surgery * No concurrent palliative local radiotherapy * No concurrent intensity-modulated radiotherapy * Concurrent full-dose anticoagulants (e.g., warfarin) allowed provided all of the following criteria are met: * INR ≤ 3 * In-range INR (2-3) on a stable dose of oral anticoagulant or on a stable dose of low molecular weight heparin * No active bleeding or pathological condition that carries a high risk of bleeding (e.g., tumor involving major vessels or known varices)