Pemetrexed and/or Sunitinib as Second-Line Therapy in Treating Patients With Stage IIIB or Stage IV Non-small Cell Lung Cancer

This randomized phase II trial studies pemetrexed disodium and sunitinib malate to compare how well they work when given alone or together as second-line therapy in treating patients with stage IIIB or stage IV non-small cell lung cancer. Drugs used in chemotherapy, such as pemetrexed disodium, work in different ways to stop the growth of tumor cells, either by killing the cells or by stopping them from dividing. Sunitinib malate may stop the growth of tumor cells by blocking some of the enzymes needed for cell growth and by blocking blood flow to the tumor. It is not yet known whether pemetrexed disodium and sunitinib malate are more effective when given alone or together in treating non-small cell lung cancer.