Inclusion Criteria

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