Sorafenib, Cisplatin, and Etoposide in Treating Patients With Extensive-Stage Small Cell Lung Cancer

RATIONALE: Sorafenib may stop the growth of tumor cells by blocking some of the enzymes needed for cell growth and by blocking blood flow to the tumor. Drugs used in chemotherapy, such as cisplatin and etoposide, work in different ways to stop the growth of tumor cells, either by killing the cells or by stopping them from dividing. Giving sorafenib together with combination chemotherapy may kill more tumor cells. PURPOSE: This phase II trial is studying how well giving sorafenib together with cisplatin and etoposide works in treating patients with extensive-stage small cell lung cancer.

OBJECTIVES: * To evaluate the 1-year progression-free survival of patients with extensive-stage small cell lung cancer treated with sorafenib tosylate in combination with cisplatin and etoposide. * To evaluate the 1-year overall survival and response rate in these patients. * To evaluate the safety of these drugs in these patients. OUTLINE: This is a multicenter study. Patients receive cisplatin IV over 30-60 minutes on day 1 and etoposide IV over 60 minutes on days 1-3. Treatment repeats every 21 days for 4 courses in the absence of disease progression or unacceptable toxicity. Patients also receive oral sorafenib tosylate twice daily beginning on day 1 of course 1 and continuing for up to 1 year in the absence of disease progression or unacceptable toxicity.