DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:

• Histologically confirmed malignant pleural mesothelioma meeting 1 of the following cell types:

  • Epithelial
  • Sarcomatoid
  • Mixed type
• Disease not amenable to surgery
• Must be enrolled on imaging protocol CALGB-580903

• Complete response, partial response, or stable disease after completion of 4 courses of first-line chemotherapy comprising pemetrexed disodium AND cisplatin or carboplatin

  • Study therapy will begin ≥ 3 weeks and ≤ 6 weeks after the completion of course 4
• No clinically significant pleural or peritoneal effusions that cannot be adequately managed by drainage before or during pemetrexed disodium

PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:

• ECOG performance status of 0-1
• Life expectancy ≥ 12 weeks
• Granulocytes ≥ 1,500/μL
• Platelet count ≥ 100,000/μL
• Total bilirubin ≤ 1.5 times upper limit of normal (ULN)
• AST ≤ 2 times ULN
• Creatinine clearance ≥ 45 mL/min
• Not pregnant or nursing
• Negative pregnancy test
• Fertile patients must use effective contraception
• No psychiatric illness that would prevent the patient from giving informed consent
• No second malignancy except non-melanoma skin cancer or carcinoma in situ of the cervix unless curatively treated with no evidence of active disease for ≥ 5 years

• No medical conditions that, in the opinion of the treating physician, would make study treatment unreasonably hazardous for the patient including, but not limited to, the following:

  • Ongoing or active infection such as HIV positivity
  • Inability to take oral medications
  • Psychiatric illness/social situations that would limit compliance with study requirements

PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:

• See Disease Characteristics

• Prior intracavitary cytotoxic or sclerosing therapy (including bleomycin) allowed

  • Prior intrapleural cytotoxic chemotherapy not considered systemic chemotherapy
• Prior surgery allowed

• Prior radiotherapy allowed

  • No concurrent palliative radiotherapy
• No NSAIDS for 5 days before, during, or 2 days after study therapy

• No concurrent hormones or other chemotherapeutic agents except for the following:

  • Steroids for adrenal failure
  • Hormones for nondisease-related conditions (e.g., insulin for diabetes)
  • Intermittent use of dexamethasone as an antiemetic or premedication for pemetrexed disodium