Cryotherapy in Treating Patients With Primary Lung Cancer or Lung Metastases That Cannot Be Removed By Surgery

DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS: * Histologically or cytologically confirmed malignant pulmonary neoplasm * New lung lesion(s) with definitive clinical and imaging features of primary or metastatic disease allowed * Imaging findings compatible with localized treatment failure after prior cryotherapy allowed * Malignant pleural effusion allowed provided it is associated with a distinct measurable pulmonary mass amenable to cryotherapy * Metastatic disease must meet all of the following criteria: * Primary tumors have been resected or have been deemed controlled by other therapies * No other widespread metastases evident (e.g., multiple hepatic or brain metastases) * Each pulmonary mass must be amenable to CT-guided percutaneous cryotherapy approach * No more than 5 targeted masses for study therapy * Target mass defined as pulmonary, hilar, mediastinal, and/or chest wall mass \> 1 cm, but \< 10 cm in average diameter * Unresectable disease by surgical consultation OR patient refused surgical options * Nonenhanced and enhanced CT scan required within the past 6 weeks done at 4-5 mm increments with available soft tissue and mediastinal windows to assess size and extent of all thoracic tumors * PET scan required within the past 6 months noting the correlation with the above CT locations, if not already obtained by a combined PET/CT scanner PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS: * Karnofsky performance status (PS) \> 60-100% OR WHO/ECOG/Zubrod PS 0-2 * FEV\_1 \> 30% of predicted * DLCO…