DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:

• Histologically confirmed malignant pleural mesothelioma

  • Epithelial
  • Sarcomatous
  • Biphasic
• Measurable or nonmeasurable disease
• Not amenable to extrapleural pneumonectomy
• No known CNS metastases

PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:

Age:

• Not specified

Performance status:

• Zubrod 0-1

Life expectancy:

• Not specified

Hematopoietic:

• WBC at least 3,000/mm^3
• Absolute neutrophil count at least 1,500/mm^3
• Platelet count at least 100,000/mm^3

Hepatic:

• Bilirubin no greater than 1.5 times upper limit of normal (ULN)
• SGOT or SGPT no greater than 1.5 times ULN (5 times ULN if liver involvement of tumor)

Renal:

• Creatinine no greater than 2 times ULN

Gastrointestinal:

• No gastrointestinal tract disease resulting in an inability to take oral medication or a requirement for IV alimentation
• No active peptic ulcer disease
• No intractable nausea or vomiting
• Must be able to swallow and/or receive enteral medications via gastrostomy feeding tube

Ophthalmic:

• No known history of the following:

  • Dry eye syndrome
  • Sjogren's syndrome
  • Keratoconjunctivitis sicca
  • Exposure keratopathy
  • Fuch's dystrophy
  • Other active disorders of the cornea

Other:

• Not pregnant or nursing
• Fertile patients must use effective contraception
• No HIV-positive patients receiving combination antiretroviral therapy
• No other prior malignancy within the past 5 years except adequately treated basal cell or squamous cell skin cancer, carcinoma in situ of the cervix, or stage I or II cancer that is in complete remission

PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:

Biologic therapy:

• No prior biologic therapy for this tumor

Chemotherapy:

• No prior chemotherapy for this tumor

Endocrine therapy:

• Not specified

Radiotherapy:

• See Disease Characteristics
• At least 3 weeks since prior radiotherapy and recovered

Surgery:

• See Disease Characteristics
• At least 4 weeks since prior major surgery (e.g., thoracotomy or laparotomy), excluding minor surgeries (e.g., mediastinoscopy, thoracoscopy, or minor biopsies)
• Recovered from prior surgery
• No prior surgical procedures affecting absorption

Other:

• No prior investigational anticancer agents for this tumor