Monoclonal Antibody Therapy in Treating Patients With Relapsed or Refractory Small Cell Lung Cancer

DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:

• Histologically or cytologically confirmed small cell lung cancer (SCLC)
• Must have received at least one prior course of standard chemotherapy and, if indicated, up to 6,900 cGy of thoracic radiotherapy
• Patients who received prior radiotherapy must show evidence of progressive disease
• Patients who received no prior radiotherapy to the primary tumor must show evidence of stable or progressive disease
• Measurable disease
• Must have evidence of carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) production or expression documented by one of the following:
• Serum CEA at least 10 ng/mL
• Positive immunohistology of either the primary tumor or a metastasis with CEA specific monoclonal antibody
• Must have unilateral bone marrow biopsy with less than 25% tumor involvement
• No known, active brain metastases

PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:

Age:

• 18 and over

Performance status:

• Karnofsky 70-100%
• ECOG 0-2

Life expectancy:

• At least 3 months

Hematopoietic:

• WBC at least 3,000/mm^3
• Granulocyte count at least 1,500/mm^3
• Platelet count at least 100,000/mm^3

Hepatic:

• Bilirubin no greater than 2 mg/dL
• AST no greater than 2 times upper limit of normal (ULN)
• No hepatitis B or C
• No other serious liver abnormality

Renal:

• Creatinine no greater than 1.5 times ULN
• No urinary incontinence

Cardiovascular:

• Ejection fraction at least 50%

Pulmonary:

• FEV_1 and FVC at least 60%
• DLCO at least 50% predicted

Other:

• No severe anorexia, nausea, or vomiting
• No other significant medical problems
• No prisoners
• No reactivity to humanized MN-14 (in patients with prior exposure to chimeric or humanized antibody)
• HIV negative
• No active HIV-related disease
• Not pregnant or nursing
• Negative pregnancy test
• Fertile patients must use effective contraception during and for at least 3 months following study participation

PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:

Biologic therapy:

• See Chemotherapy
• No concurrent growth factors (e.g., filgrastim [G-CSF])

Chemotherapy:

• See Disease Characteristics
• At least 4 weeks since prior chemotherapy
• No prior high dose chemotherapy with stem cell transplantation

Endocrine therapy:

• Not specified

Radiotherapy:

• See Disease Characteristics
• At least 4 weeks since prior radiotherapy
• Prior radiotherapy to less than 30% of red marrow (including standard chest x-ray for limited stage SCLC) allowed

Surgery:

• At least 4 weeks since prior major surgery