Gold Sodium Thiomalate in Treating Patients With Advanced Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer

DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS: * Histologically confirmed advanced non-small cell lung cancer * No known standard therapy for disease that is potentially curative or definitely capable of extending life expectancy * No symptomatic or worsening CNS metastases despite optimal therapy PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS: * ECOG performance status 0-2 * Life expectancy ≥ 12 weeks * ANC ≥ 1,500/µL * Platelet count ≥ 100,000/µL * Total bilirubin ≤ 2 times upper limit of normal (ULN) * AST ≤ 3 times ULN (5 times ULN if liver involvement) * Creatinine ≤ 1.2 times ULN * Hemoglobin ≥ 9.0 g/dL * Not pregnant or nursing * Negative pregnancy test * Fertile patients must use effective contraception * Must be willing to provide blood and tissue samples * No uncontrolled infection * No New York Heart Association class III or IV heart disease * No known allergy to gold sodium thiomalate PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY: * Recovered from acute, reversible effects of prior chemotherapy regardless of interval since last treatment * No prior chemotherapy within the past 3 weeks * No prior mitomycin C or nitrosoureas within the past 6 weeks * No prior immunotherapy within the past 3 weeks * No prior biologic therapy within the past 3 weeks * No prior radiotherapy within the past 3 weeks * No prior radiotherapy to \> 25% of bone marrow * No other concurrent chemotherapy, immunotherapy, radiotherapy, or any ancillary therapy considered investigational (i.e., utilized for a non-FDA-approved indication and in the context of a research investigation) * No concurrent prophylactic colony stimulating factors