DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:

• Histologically or cytologically confirmed primary non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC)

  • Stage IIIB or IV disease
• Not a candidate for combined modality therapy (chemoradiotherapy)

• No evidence of symptomatic or untreated brain metastases, spinal cord compression, or carcinomatous meningitis

  • Patients with CNS metastases must be asymptomatic, received definitive therapy (≥ 6 weeks since resection or ≥ 2 weeks since radiotherapy) for brain metastases, and be off steroids or on a stable dose for 2 weeks prior to registration
• No cavitary lesions

• Must have received one prior first-line chemotherapy regimen that included 4 courses of platinum-based doublet chemotherapy with or without bevacizumab (bevacizumab may not have been given beyond the fourth course of chemotherapy)

  • Must have achieved a complete response, partial response, or stable disease to first-line chemotherapy and have no evidence of disease progression
  • Completed the fourth course of first-line chemotherapy 3-5 weeks prior to study entry

• Measurable or nonmeasurable disease

  • Measurable disease is defined as ≥ 1 unidimensionally measurable lesion ≥ 2 cm by conventional techniques or ≥ 1 cm by spiral CT scan

  • Nonmeasurable disease is defined as all other lesions, including small lesions (longest diameter < 20 mm by conventional techniques or < 10 mm by spiral CT scan), truly nonmeasurable lesions, and any of the following:

    • Bone lesions
    • Leptomeningeal disease
    • Ascites
    • Pleural/pericardial effusion
    • Lymphangitis cutis/pulmonis
    • Abdominal masses that are not confirmed and followed by imaging techniques
    • Cystic lesions

PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:

• ECOG performance status 0-1
• Granulocyte count ≥ 1,500/mcL
• Platelet count ≥ 100,000/mcL
• Total bilirubin ≤ 1.5 times upper limit of normal (ULN)
• AST ≤ 2.5 times ULN (or ≤ 5 times ULN for patients with liver metastases)
• Creatinine ≤ 1.5 mg/dL
• Not pregnant or nursing
• Negative pregnancy test
• Fertile patients must use effective contraception
• Able to take oral medication
• No history of QTc interval ≥ 500 msec within the past 2 years
• No ongoing cardiac dysrhythmias or atrial fibrillation
• No myocardial infarction, severe/unstable angina, coronary/peripheral artery bypass graft or stenting, cerebrovascular accident, or transient ischemic attack within the past year
• No hypertension that cannot be controlled by medications (i.e., > 150/100 mm Hg despite optimal medical therapy)

• No history of New York Heart Association (NYHA) class III-IV heart failure within the past 12 months

  • NYHA class I heart failure allowed

  • History of NYHA class II heart failure allowed provided at least one of the following criteria are met:

    • Asymptomatic on treatment
    • Previously treated with an anthracycline
    • Previously treated with central thoracic radiotherapy that included the heart in the radiotherapy port
• No history of venous thrombosis, pulmonary embolism, or hypercoagulopathy syndrome

• No history of pulmonary hemorrhage, bleeding diathesis, or evidence of hemoptysis

  • Patients with blood-tinged or blood-streaked sputum are eligible provided the hemoptysis amounts to < 5 mL of blood per episode and < 10 mL of blood per 24-hour period, in the best estimate of the investigator
• No abdominal fistula, gastrointestinal perforation, intra-abdominal abscess, or serious or non-healing wound, ulcer, or bone fracture within the past 28 days
• History of hypothyroidism allowed provided patient is currently euthyroid

PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:

• See Disease Characteristics
• No prior adjuvant chemotherapy for resected stage I-III NSCLC or combined modality therapy for stage III NSCLC
• No other prior primary therapy (including experimental therapy) for NSCLC
• At least 1 week since prior palliative radiotherapy

• More than 7 days since prior and no concurrent CYP3A4 inhibitors, including any of the following:

  • Azole antifungals (ketoconazole, itraconazole)
  • Diltiazem
  • Clarithromycin
  • Erythromycin
  • Verapamil
  • Delavirdine
  • HIV protease inhibitors (indinavir, saquinavir, ritonavir, atazanavir, nelfinavir)

• More than 12 days since prior and no concurrent CYP3A4 inducers, including any of the following:

  • Rifampin
  • Rifabutin
  • Carbamazepine
  • Phenobarbital
  • Phenytoin
  • Hypericum perforatum (St. John's wort)
  • Efavirenz
  • Tipranavir

• No concurrent agents with proarrhythmic potential, including any of the following:

  • Quinidine
  • Procainamide
  • Disopyramide
  • Sotalol
  • Probucol
  • Haloperidol
  • Risperidone
  • Indapamide
  • Flecainide

• No concurrent therapeutic anticoagulation for thromboembolic disease

  • Concurrent low-dose coumadin (≤ 2 mg/day) allowed for prophylaxis of thrombosis
• No concurrent chemotherapy or radiotherapy
• No concurrent hormonal therapy, except steroids for adrenal failure, hormones for non-disease-related conditions (e.g., insulin for diabetes), or intermittent dexamethasone as an antiemetic