cryotherapy in treating patients with lung cancer that has spread to the other lung or parts of the body

Conditions: Advanced Malignant Mesothelioma; Extensive Stage Small Cell Lung Cancer; Lung Metastases; Recurrent Malignant Mesothelioma; Recurrent Non-small Cell Lung Cancer; Recurrent Small Cell Lung Cancer; Stage IV Non-small Cell Lung Cancer

Summary: this pilot clinical trial studies the side effects of cryotherapy (cryoablation \[ca\]) in treating patients with lung cancer. cryotherapy kills cancer cells by freezing them.

primary objectives: i. assess the initial safety of the ca for lung tumors less than or equal to 3.5 cm in size including acute toxicity (30 days). secondary objectives: i. estimate local control. ii. to assess physical function for this cohort of patients. iii. to evaluate the impact of treatment on generic and disease-specific quality of life. iv. to obtain pilot data useful for the design of a subsequent phase ii or randomized phase ii trial. v. evaluate changes in pulmonary function at 3 months. outline: patients undergo computed tomography (ct)-guided ca after completion of study treatment, patients are followed up at 1 week and 1, 3, 6, 12, 24, 36, 48, and 60 months.

Eligibility criteria:
inclusion criteria: * patients with american joint committee on cancer (ajcc) seventh edition metastatic carcinoma or sarcoma involving the lungs or pleura. * pathologic diagnosis of stage 4 cancer prior to enrollment by biopsy or on imaging with known (biopsied) primary disease * the target lesion is determined (by ct or magnetic resonance imaging \[mri\] images) to be in a location where cryoablation is technically achievable based on the proximity of adjacent organs and structures * maximum number of lesions per patient will be 5 total (a maximum of 3 on either the right or left side and 2 lesions on the respective contralateral side) * of these, any lesion not treated with cryoablation will be planned to be treated with radiotherapy or radiofrequency ablation, such that all known active pulmonary disease is planned to be treated with a definitive local therapy * if treatment of both lungs is to occur by cryoablation, these treatments must be separated by at least one week * the lesion(s) treated with cryoablation may be intrapulmonary or pleural and must be =\< 3.5 cm in greatest dimension * all patients are required to have been evaluated either in consultation with a radiation oncologist or at least in a multi-disciplinary tumor conference to ensure that all local therapy options are appropriately considered for each patient * performance status 0-2 (eastern cooperative oncology group \[ecog\]); karnofsky performance scale \>= 60 * life expectancy \> 3 months * clinically suitable for cryoablation procedure as determined by the treating physician * platelet count \> 50,000/mm\^3 within 60 days prior to study registration * international normalized ratio (inr) \< 1.5 within 60 days prior to study registration * absolute neutrophil count (anc) \< 1000 within 21 days prior to study registration * a signed study specific consent form is required exclusion criteria: * primary lung cancer * unable to lie flat or has respiratory distress at rest * uncontrolled coagulopathy or bleeding disorders * evidence of active systemic, pulmonary, or pericardial infection * pregnant, nursing or wishes to become pregnant during the study * debilitating medical or psychiatric illness that would preclude giving informed consent or receiving optimal treatment or follow up * currently participating in other experimental studies that could affect the primary endpoint