LCI-LUN-ABR-001: Carbo With Nab-Paclitaxel in Patients With Advanced NSCL Cancer

Inclusion Criteria: * Histologically confirmed stage IV non-small cell lung cancer with predominantly squamous histology * No prior systemic treatment for metastatic disease. Patients who have received prior adjuvant chemotherapy for early-stage lung cancer are eligible if at least 12 months have elapsed between the date of final chemotherapy administration and the date of consent * Patients must have measurable disease, defined as at least one lesion that can be accurately measured in at least one dimension (longest diameter to be recorded for non-nodal lesions and short axis for nodal lesions) as \>20 mm with conventional techniques or as \>10 mm with CT scan, MRI, or calipers by clinical exam * Biopsy accessible disease * Patients with previous radiotherapy as definitive therapy for locally advanced non-small cell lung cancer are eligible, as long as the recurrence is outside the original radiation therapy port. Definitive radiation therapy must have been completed \>4 weeks prior to the date the informed consent is signed * Age \>18 years * ECOG performance status less than or equal to 1 * If patient has brain metastasis, the disease must be stable (treated and/or asymptomatic) for at least 4 weeks prior to first dose of study treatment * Bilirubin \< 1.5 mg/dL * Adequate liver function: AST and ALT \<= 2.5x upper limit of normal, alkaline phosphatase \<= 2.5x upper limit of normal, unless bone metastasis is present (\< 5x upper limit of normal) in the absence of liver metastasis * Adequate bone marrow function: Platelets \>100,000 cells/mm3, Hemoglobin \> 9.0g/dL and ANC \> 1,500 cells/mm3 * Adequate renal function with creatinine \<1.5 mg/dL is recommended * Females of childbearing potential and sexually active males must use an effective contraception method during treatment and for six months after completing treatment * Negative serum or urine B-hCG pregnancy test at screening for patients of childbearing potential * Patients must have \< Grade 2 pre-existing peripheral neuropathy (per CTCAE version 4.0) * Ability to understand and the willingness to sign a written informed consent document Exclusion Criteria * Received prior systemic therapy for metastatic disease * Received limited field radiation for palliation \<= 2 weeks prior to starting study treatment and/or from whom \>= 30% bone marrow was irradiated * Receiving any other investigational agents * Known hypersensitivity to either carboplatin or ABRAXANE * Uncontrolled and current illness including, but not limited to, ongoing or active infection, symptomatic congestive heart failure, unstable angina pectoris, cardiac arrhythmia, or psychiatric illness/social situations that would limit compliance with study requirements * Pregnant or breast feeding * Other active malignancies * Neuropathy greater than or equal to grade 2