RATIONALE: AZD2171 may stop the growth of tumor cells by blocking some of the enzymes needed for cell growth and by blocking blood flow to the tumor.

PURPOSE: This phase II trial is studying how well AZD2171 works in treating patients with recurrent small cell lung cancer.

OBJECTIVES:

Primary

• Determine the objective response rate in patients with recurrent small cell lung cancer treated with AZD2171.

Secondary

• Determine overall survival and time to progression in patients treated with this drug.
• Determine the toxic effects of this drug in these patients.

OUTLINE: This is a multicenter study.

Patients receive oral AZD2171 once daily for 28 days. Courses repeat every 28 days in the absence of disease progression or unacceptable toxicity.

After completion of study treatment, patients are followed at 4 weeks.

PROJECTED ACCRUAL: A total of 37 patients will be accrued for this study.

DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:

• Histologically or cytologically confirmed small cell lung cancer
• Recurrent disease after 1 prior platinum-based chemotherapy regimen
• Measurable disease, defined as ≥ 1 unidimensionally measurable lesion ≥ 20 mm by conventional techniques OR ≥ 10 mm by spiral CT scan
• No known brain metastases

PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:

Performance status

• ECOG 0-2 OR
• Karnofsky 60-100%

Life expectancy

• More than 12 weeks

Hematopoietic

• WBC ≥ 3,000/mm^3
• Absolute neutrophil count ≥ 1,500/mm^3
• Platelet count ≥ 100,000/mm^3
• Hemoglobin ≥ 8 g/dL

Hepatic

• Bilirubin normal
• AST and ALT ≤ 2.5 times upper limit of normal

Renal

• Creatinine normal OR
• Creatinine clearance ≥ 60 mL/min
• No proteinuria > +1 on 2 consecutive dipsticks taken no less than 1 week apart

Cardiovascular

• QTc ≤ 470 msec by EKG (with Bazett''''s correction)
• No history of familial long QT syndrome
• No uncontrolled hypertension
• No symptomatic congestive heart failure
• No unstable angina pectoris
• No uncontrolled cardiac arrhythmia

Other

• Not pregnant or nursing
• Negative pregnancy test
• Fertile patients must use effective double barrier-method contraception ≥ 1 week before, during, and ≥ 2 weeks after completion of study treatment
• Able to take oral medications on a regular basis
• No history of allergic reactions attributed to compounds of similar chemical or biologic composition to study drug
• No other uncontrolled illness
• No active or ongoing infection
• No psychiatric illness or social situation that would preclude study compliance

PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:

Chemotherapy

• See Disease Characteristics
• More than 4 weeks since prior chemotherapy (6 weeks for nitrosoureas or mitomycin)
• No more than 1 prior chemotherapy regimen

Radiotherapy

• More than 4 weeks since prior radiotherapy

Surgery

• More than 4 weeks since prior major surgery

Other

• Recovered from prior therapy
• More than 30 days since prior participation in an investigational trial
• No other concurrent investigational agents
• No other concurrent anticancer therapy
• No concurrent medication that may markedly affect renal function (e.g., vancomycin, amphotericin, pentamidine)
• No concurrent combination antiretroviral therapy for HIV-positive patients