Pemetrexed Disodium and Cisplatin in Treating Patients Who Are Undergoing Surgery for Stage I, Stage II, or Stage III Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer

DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS: * Microscopically confirmed non-small cell lung cancer * Stage IB (T2, N0, M0), IIA (T1, N1, M0), IIB (T2, N1, M0 or T3, N0, M0), or IIIA (T1-3, N1-2, M0) disease * Satellite lesions in one lobe (T4) (stage IIIB) allowed * Meets 1 of the following criteria: * Measurable disease, defined as ≥ 1 unidimensionally measurable lesion ≥ 10 mm in the longest diameter * Evaluable disease, defined as lesions on chest CT scan that are not measurable (e.g., ill-defined masses or mediastinal or hilar adenopathy) * No metastatic disease except peribronchial/hilar lymph nodes (N1) or ipsilateral/subcarinal mediastinal lymph nodes (N2) * No N3 lymph nodes (e.g., contralateral mediastinal/hilar or supraclavicular/scalene) by CT scan or positron emission tomography (PET) scan AND mediastinoscopy * No T4 primary tumor (e.g., mediastinal invasion) * No malignant pleural effusion * Nonmalignant effusions (i.e., negative cytology, non-bloody, and transudate) allowed * Effusions visible only by CT scan and not large enough for safe thoracentesis allowed * No exudative effusion, defined by 1 of the following criteria: * Pleural fluid protein:serum protein ratio \> 0.5 * Pleural fluid lactic dehydrogenase (LDH):serum LDH ratio ≥ 0.6 * Pleural fluid LDH \> 200 IU/L * No more than 1 area of fludeoxyglucose (FDG) uptake outside the area of the primary lung tumor OR evidence of malignant pleural disease as evidenced by pleural nodules by PET scan * Single areas of FDG uptake will be further evaluated (e.g., by biopsy) for metastatic disease PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS: Age * 18 and over Performance status * ECOG 0-1 Life expectancy * Not specified Hematopoietic * WBC ≥ 3,000/mm\^3 * Platelet count ≥ 100,000/mm\^3 * Hemoglobin ≥ 9 g/dL Hepatic * Bilirubin ≤ 1.5 mg/dL * SGOT or SGPT ≤ 1.5 times upper limit of normal Renal * Creatinine clearance ≥ 45 mL/min Other * Not pregnant or nursing * Negative pregnancy test * Fertile patients must use effective contraception during and for 3 months after completion of study treatment * No other active malignancy within the past 2 years except nonmelanoma skin cancer or carcinoma in situ of the cervix * No psychological, familial, sociological, or geographical situation that would preclude study compliance PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY: Biologic therapy * Not specified Chemotherapy * No prior chemotherapy for lung cancer Endocrine therapy * Not specified Radiotherapy * No prior radiotherapy for lung cancer Surgery * No prior surgery for lung cancer * At least 12 weeks since prior major surgery to the chest and abdomen Other * No concurrent aspirin or other nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs for ≥ 2 days before (5 days for drugs with a long half-life \[e.g., naproxen, piraoxicam, difunisal, nabumetone, rofecoxib, or celecoxib\] or 8 days for long acting agents), during, and for 2 days after completion of each pemetrexed disodium administration * No concurrent participation in another study involving chemotherapy or radiotherapy