Combination Chemotherapy With or Without Surgery & Chemoradiotherapy in Patients With Malignant Pleural Mesothelioma

DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS: * Histologically confirmed malignant pleural mesothelioma * Amenable to aggressive surgical resection, if deemed resectable * Patients with potentially resectable disease must have undergone mediastinoscopy to establish surgical stage * Resectable disease is defined as any of the following: * Epithelioid, mixed histology, or histology not otherwise specified with clinical stage I-III (T1-3, N0-2, M0) disease * Sarcomatoid histology with clinical stage I-III (T1-3, N0) disease * Intraperitoneal extension, contralateral thoracic extension, or distant metastases are eligible, but considered unresectable * Disease considered unresectable by any medical reason or if surgery was declined PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS: * ECOG performance status 0-1 * WBC ≥ 3,000/mm³ * Platelet count \> 100,000/mm³ * Creatinine ≤ 1.7 mg/dL * Alkaline phosphatase \< 2 times normal * AST \< 2 times normal * Albumin \> 3 g/dL * Bilirubin \< 2.0 mg/dL * Patients must be available for and compliant with adequate long-term follow-up * Not pregnant * Negative pregnancy test * Fertile patients must use effective contraception * Patients with resectable disease must have adequate pulmonary function to undergo surgery and radiotherapy * No other active malignancies PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY: * No prior surgical resection, radiation therapy, chemotherapy, or immunotherapy for this cancer