FR901228 in Treating Patients With Relapsed or Refractory Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma

You may be eligible if

• Histologically confirmed aggressive B-cell non-Hodgkin's lymphoma of 1 of the following subtypes:
• * Mantle cell lymphoma
• * Diffuse large cell lymphoma
• * (Ineligible for or unwilling to undergo stem cell transplantation)
• Relapsed or refractory disease:
• * Any number of prior therapies allowed for relapsed disease, including peripheral blood stem cell or bone marrow transplantation
• * No more than 2 prior regimens, excluding monotherapy with monoclonal antibody or radiotherapy, for refractory disease
• Measurable disease, defined as \>= 1 lesion \>= 1.5 cm in the longest diameter
• No transformed lymphoma, defined as the transformation of a low-grade lymphoma, including follicular lymphoma or small lymphocytic lymphoma, to a high-grade lymphoma (e.g., diffuse large cell lymphoma)
• ECOG performance status 0-2
• Absolute neutrophil count \>= 1,000/mm\^3 OR \>= 500/mm\^3 if extensive bone marrow involvement (\> 50%) or hypersplenism with palpable splenomegaly
• Platelet count \>= 75,000/mm\^3 OR \>= 50,000/mm\^3 if extensive bone marrow involvement (\> 50%) or hypersplenism with palpable splenomegaly
• Bilirubin normal
• Alkaline phosphatase =\< 2 times upper limit of normal (ULN)
• AST =\< 2 times ULN
• Not pregnant or nursing
• Negative pregnancy test
• Fertile patients must use effective contraception
• No significant cardiac disease, including New York Heart Association class III-IV congestive heart failure
• No history of serious ventricular arrhythmia
• QTc \< 500 msec
• No evidence of cardiac hypertrophy on ECG
• No known HIV positivity
• No other uncontrolled serious medical condition or active infection (e.g., chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, diabetes)
• Recovered from prior therapy
• No prior doxorubicin hydrochloride \>= 450 mg/m\^2 or mitoxantrone \>= 112 mg/m\^2 (Patients who received both mitoxantrone and doxorubicin hydrochloride should have a "doxorubicin equivalent dose" \< 450 mg/m\^2
• No prior therapy with a histone deacetylase inhibitor
• No concurrent dexamethasone or prednisone except for refractory nausea/vomiting
• No concurrent drugs associated with QTc prolongation (e.g., dolasetron mesylate)
• Concurrent hydrochlorothiazide, furosemide, or other diuretics allowed provided patient is receiving potassium chloride supplementation (No supplementation needed if switched to a potassium-conserving diuretic)
• No CNS lymphoma
• Creatinine normal
• Cardiac function \>= 50% by MUGA