SGN-30 and Combination Chemotherapy in Treating Patients With Relapsed or Refractory Hodgkin Lymphoma

Inclusion Criteria:

* Histologically documented CD30-positive classical Hodgkin lymphoma according to the World Health Organization (WHO) classification of lymphoid malignancies that is recurrent or refractory after at least one prior therapy

  * Note: Patients with nodular lymphocyte predominant HL are not eligible; all other subtypes including nodular sclerosis, lymphocyte-depleted, lymphocyte rich, and mixed cellularity HL may be enrolled
  * Core needle biopsies are acceptable if they contain adequate tissue for primary diagnosis and immunophenotyping; bone marrow biopsies as the sole means of diagnosis are not acceptable, but they may be submitted in conjunction with nodal biopsies; fine needle aspirates are not acceptable; if the original diagnostic specimen is not available, specimens obtained at relapse may be submitted; if multiple specimens are available, please submit the most recent; failure to submit pathology specimens within 60 days of patient registration will be considered a major protocol violation
* Patients must have relapsed or refractory disease after at least one prior therapy, with at least a 3 week interval from the completion of the most recent chemotherapy or radiotherapy regimen; recovery to =\< grade 1 from all toxicities related to the prior treatments is required; patients who have previously received a stem cell transplant are permitted to enroll on this study

  * Prior treatment with an anti-CD30 antibody, gemcitabine, vinorelbine, or pegylated liposomal doxorubicin is not permitted
* No uncontrolled angina, no myocardial infarction (MI) within 6 months of study entry, and no New York Heart Association (NYHA) class II or greater congestive heart failure (CHF)
* Baseline left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) by multi gated acquisition scan (MUGA) or echocardiogram (ECHO) must be \>= 45%
* Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) performance status 0-2
* Measurable disease must be present on either physical examination or imaging studies; evaluable or non-measurable disease alone is not acceptable

  * Measurable disease is defined as any lesion that can be accurately measured in at least one dimension (longest diameter to be recorded) as \>= 10 mm
  * Non-measurable disease includes all other lesions, including small lesions (\< 10 mm) and truly non-measurable lesions
  * Lesions that are considered non-measurable include the following:

    * Bone lesions (lesions, if present, should be noted)
    * Bone marrow involvement (if present, this should be noted)
    * Ascites
    * Pleural/pericardial effusion
    * Lymphangitis cutis/pulmonis
* Pregnant or nursing women may not be enrolled; women of childbearing potential must have a negative serum or urine pregnancy test prior to registration; women and men of reproductive potential should agree to use an effective means of birth control
* Corrected diffusion capacity of carbon monoxide (DLCO) \>= 50%
* Absolute neutrophil count (ANC) \>= 1,200/uL
* Platelet count \>= 100,000/uL
* Creatinine =\< 2.0 mg/dL
* Bilirubin =\< 2.0 mg/dL

  * Absent a history of Gilbert's disease
* Aspartate aminotransferase (AST) =\< 2.0 x upper limits of normal