Bevacizumab and Erlotinib Followed by Cisplatin or Carboplatin and Gemcitabine in Treating Patients With Newly Diagnosed or Recurrent Stage IIIB or Stage IV NSCLC

Inclusion criteria

DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS: * Histologically or cytologically confirmed non-squamous non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) * Newly diagnosed or recurrent disease * Meets 1 of the following staging criteria: * Stage IIIB disease, meeting both of the following criteria: * Proven malignant effusion or supraclavicular node involvement (i.e., N3 supraclavicular nodes) * Not a candidate for curative multimodality treatment or surgery * Stage IV disease * Measurable disease, defined as ≥ 1 lesion (outside of irradiated areas) that can be measured in ≥ 1 dimension as ≥ 10 mm by spiral or multi-slice CT scan or MRI * Immediate chemotherapy not clinically mandatory in the judgement of the investigator * No intrathoracic large, centrally located tumors and/or cavitary lesions invading or abutting major blood vessels * No evidence of clinically active interstitial lung disease * Patients with chronic stable radiographic changes who are asymptomatic are eligible * No small cell lung cancer (SCLC), squamous NSCLC, or combined SCLC-NSCLC tumors * No brain metastases PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS: * WHO performance status 0-1 * Hemoglobin ≥ 10 g/dL * Absolute neutrophil count ≥ 1,500/mm³ * Thrombocyte count ≥ 100,000/mm³ * Bilirubin ≤ 1.5 times upper limit of normal (ULN) * ALT ≤ 2.5 times ULN (5 times ULN if liver metastases present) * Alkaline phosphatase ≤ 2.5 times ULN (5 times ULN if bone metastases present) * Quick ≥ 70% OR INR ≤ 1.5 * Creatinine ≤ 2.0 times ULN * Proteinuria ≤ 2+ by urine dipstick * Not pregnant or nursing * Negative pregnancy test * Fertile patients must use effective contraception during and for 12 months after completion of study treatment * Able to understand trial information given by the investigator and complete quality of life questionnaire * No pre-existing condition that would preclude swallowing and/or absorption of oral medication * No prior or concurrent malignancies, except for the following: * Malignancy for which the minimum relapse-free interval is ≥ 5 years * Nonmelanoma skin cancer or adequately treated carcinoma in situ of the cervix * No other medical condition that would preclude study participation, including any of the following: * Unstable or uncompensated respiratory, cardiac, hepatic, or renal disease * Active infection * Uncontrolled diabetes mellitus * Hypertension ≥ 150/100 mm Hg despite treatment * Myocardial infarction within the past 3 months * History of hemorrhagic disorders * Non-healing wound, ulcer, or bone fracture * No clinical history of coagulopathy or thrombosis * No hemoptysis or hematemesis ≥ grade 2 (defined as bright red blood of ≥ 5 mL per episode) within the past 6 months * No known hypersensitivity to study drug(s) or to any other component of the study drugs * No significant traumatic injury within the past 28 days * No serious underlying medical condition that would impair the ability of the patient to participate in the trial or that would preclude use of study drugs * No cerebrovascular accident or other CNS bleeding within the past 6 months PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY: * At least 4 weeks since prior radiotherapy and recovered * No prior radiotherapy to lesion(s) selected for measurement * No prior chemotherapy for advanced disease * At least 6 months since prior neoadjuvant or adjuvant systemic chemotherapy for NSCLC * Prior intrapleural or intrapericardial local chemotherapy allowed * No prior endothelial growth factor and/or vascular endothelial growth factor (receptor)-targeted therapy for NSCLC * More than 28 days since prior major surgical procedure or open biopsy * More than 30 days since prior treatment in another clinical trial * No concurrent anticoagulants (e.g., phenprocoumon, acenocoumarol, or full-dose warfarin or heparin) * No concurrent full-dose continuous use of non-steroid anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) * No concurrent aspirin or clopidogrel bisulfate * Low-dose aspirin (≤ 325 mg daily) may be continued in patients at high risk for arterial thromboembolic disease * No other concurrent drugs contraindicated for use with the study drugs, according to the Swissmedic-approved product information * No other concurrent experimental drugs or anticancer therapy, including chemotherapy, immunotherapy, or hormone therapy