Suberoylanilide Hydroxamic Acid in Treating Patients With Stage IIIB, Stage IV, or Recurrent Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer

Patients must have histologically or cytologically confirmed non-small cell lung carcinoma, Stage IV (distant metastases), stage IIIB with malignant pleural effusion, or recurrent disease

Patients must have measurable disease, defined as at least one lesion that can be accurately measured in at least one dimension (longest diameter to be recorded) as \>= 20 mm with conventional techniques or as \>= 10 mm with spiral CT scan

Prior therapy: no more than 1 prior cytotoxic chemotherapy regimen for their Stage IIIB/IV or recurrent disease; no previous irradiation to the only area of measurable disease, unless that site had subsequent progression of disease; radiation therapy must be completed at least 3 weeks prior to initiating study drug

Stage IV patients with brain metastases are eligible providing the brain metastases are clinically and radiologically stable 4 weeks after treatment with surgery and/or radiation therapy, and they are not taking steroids

Life expectancy greater than 3 months

ECOG performance status 0 or 1 (Karnofsky \>= 70%)

Patients must have normal organ and marrow function as defined below:

Leukocytes \>= 3,000/mcL

Absolute neutrophil count \>= 1,500/mcL

Platelets \>= 100,000/mcL

Total bilirubin within normal institutional limits

AST(SGOT)/ALT(SGPT) =\< 2.5 X institutional upper limit of normal

Creatinine within normal institutional limits OR creatinine clearance \>= 60 mL/min/1.73 m\^2 for patients with creatinine levels above institutional normal

Peripheral neuropathy =\< grade 1

Caution needs to be exercised when using SAHA with medications or substances known to affect or with the potential to affect the activity or pharmacokinetics of SAHA; since grapefruit juice is known to interact with the CYP450 enzymes, it is recommended that patients abstain from consuming grapefruit, grapefruit juice, and other grapefruit containing products during this study

The effects of SAHA on the developing human fetus at the recommended therapeutic dose are unknown; for this reason and because HDAC inhibitors are known to be teratogenic, women of child-bearing potential and men must agree to use adequate contraception (hormonal or barrier method of birth control; abstinence) prior to study entry and for the duration of study participation; should a woman become pregnant or suspect she is pregnant while participating in this study, she should inform her treating physician immediately

Ability to understand and the willingness to sign a written informed consent document

Patients should not have taken valproic acid, another histone deacetylase inhibitor, for at least 2 weeks prior to enrollment

What this study is about