Panobinostat, Etoposide, and Cisplatin as First-Line Therapy in Treating Patients With Extensive-Stage Small Cell Lung Cancer

DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS: * Histologically or cytologically confirmed small cell lung cancer * Extensive-stage disease * Measurable disease according to RECIST criteria * No symptomatic brain metastasis or meningeal tumors PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS: * ECOG performance status 0-1 * Life expectancy ≥ 6 months * Absolute neutrophil count \> 1,500/mm\^3 * Platelet count ≥ 100,000/mm\^3 * Hemoglobin ≥ 10.0 g/dL * Serum creatinine ≤ 1.5 x upper limit of normal (ULN) OR 24-hour creatinine clearance ≥ to 60 mL/min * Magnesium, potassium, and phosphorus ≥ the lower limit of normal OR correctable with supplements prior to study treatment * AST/ALT ≤ 2.5 x ULN (≤ 5.0 x ULN if hepatic metastases are present) * Serum bilirubin ≤ 1.5 x ULN * Alkaline phosphatase ≤ 2.5 x ULN OR liver fraction ≤ 2.5 x ULN * Not pregnant or nursing * Negative pregnancy test * Fertile patients must use effective double contraception (at least 1 barrier method) during and for at least 30 days after completion of study treatment * No impaired cardiac function, including any one of the following: * LVEF \< 45% as determined by ECHO * Complete left bundle branch block, obligate use of a cardiac pacemaker, congenital long QT syndrome, history or presence of atrial or ventricular tachyarrhythmias, clinically significant resting bradycardia (\< 50 beats per minute), QTcF \> 480 msec on screening ECG, or right bundle branch block and left anterior hemiblock (bifascicular block) * Uncontrolled angina pectoris or acute myocardial infarction within the past 3 months * Other clinically significant heart disease (e.g., congestive heart failure, uncontrolled hypertension, history of labile hypertension, or history of poor compliance with an antihypertensive regimen) * No history of HIV or AIDS-related illness * No acute or chronic liver or renal disease * No other concurrent severe and/or uncontrolled medical conditions that could cause unacceptable safety risks or compromise compliance with the protocol, including any of the following: * Uncontrolled diabetes * Chronic obstructive or chronic restrictive pulmonary disease * Active or uncontrolled infection * No known immediate or delayed hypersensitivity reaction or idiosyncrasy to drugs chemically related to panobinostat, cisplatin, or etoposide * No hearing impairment that would be a contraindication to the use of cisplatin PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY: * No prior chemotherapy * No investigational drug or experimental medications or treatments within the past 30 days or 5 half-lives, whichever is longer