Pemetrexed Disodium and Bevacizumab in Treating Patients With Stage III or Stage IV Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer

DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS: * Histologically or cytologically diagnosed stage IIIB or IV non-small cell lung cancer * Stage IIIB patients must have pleural effusion * No symptomatic serosal effusion (grade 2 dyspnea) that is not amenable to drainage * Mixed histology allowed if all components consistent with non-small cell lung cancer * Tumors with squamous cell histology feature are allowed * Must have measurable disease with at least one lesion with a longest diameter accurately measured as ≥ 2.0 cm with conventional techniques or as ≥ 1.0 cm with spiral CT * Large ( \> 4 cm) centrally located lesions or large lesions in close proximity to major blood vessels should receive palliative radiation * The irradiated lesion should not be a target lesion * Previously treated with one chemotherapy regimen in the neoadjuvant, adjuvant, or advanced disease setting * No symptomatic, untreated, or uncontrolled CNS metastases * CNS metastases treated with prior whole brain radiotherapy allowed PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS: * ECOG performance status 0-2 * Life expectancy ≥ 12 weeks * Absolute neutrophil count ≥ 1,500/mm\^3 * Platelet count ≥ 100,000/ mm\^3 * Hemoglobin ≥ 9 g/dL * Bilirubin ≤ 1.5 times upper limit of normal (ULN) or direct bilirubin normal * AST and ALT ≤ 3 times ULN (5 times ULN if liver has tumor involvement) * Creatinine clearance ≥ 45 mL/min * Urine protein:creatinine ratio \< 1.0 * Pregnant or nursing women are ineligible * Negative pregnancy test *…