R-(-)-Gossypol Acetic Acid, Cisplatin, and Etoposide in Treating Patients With Advanced Solid Tumors or Extensive Stage Small Cell Lung Cancer

Inclusion Criteria:

* In the dose-escalation cohorts: patients must have histologically confirmed malignancy that is metastatic or unresectable and for which standard curative or palliative measures do not exist or are no longer effective; in the MTD expansion cohort: patients must have histologically or cytologically confirmed extensive-stage small cell lung cancer
* Patients must not have received prior therapy that inhibits the B-cell lymphoma 2 (Bcl-2) family
* Patients with small cell lung cancer may have received prior prophylactic cranial irradiation
* Prior whole brain radiotherapy allowed for patients with brain metastases provided they have stable/improved lesions for at least 1 month following treatment, no neurological symptoms and not require corticosteroids; an magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the brain or computed tomography (CT) scan of the head must be performed at baseline if patient has a history of brain metastases
* Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) performance status =\< 2 (Karnofsky \>= 60%)
* Life expectancy of greater than 12 weeks
* Leukocytes \>= 3,000/mcL
* Absolute neutrophil count \>= 1,500/mcL
* Platelets \>= 100,000/mcL
* Total bilirubin \< 1.5 mg/dL
* Aspartate aminotransferase (AST) (serum glutamic oxaloacetic transaminase \[SGOT\])/alanine aminotransferase (ALT) (serum glutamic pyruvate transaminase \[SGPT\]) =\< 2.5 x institutional upper limit of normal
* Serum creatinine \< 1.5 x institutional upper limit of normal OR
* Creatinine clearance \>= 45 mL/min/1.73 m\^2, as calculated by Cockroft-Gault formula, for patients with creatinine levels above institutional normal; a 24 hour urine collection and creatinine clearance can be measured if indicated
* The effects of AT-101 on the developing human fetus are unknown; for this reason and because other therapeutic agents used in this trial 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, for the duration of study participation, and for at least one month following the last dose of AT-101; should a woman become pregnant or suspect she is pregnant while participating in this study, she should inform her treating physician immediately
* Patients should display the ability to understand and the willingness to sign a written informed consent document
* Female patients of child bearing potential must not be pregnant
* Patients must have measurable or evaluable disease

Exclusion Criteria:

* Patients without small cell lung cancer who have had chemotherapy, radiotherapy or hormonal therapy within 4 weeks (6 weeks for nitrosoureas or mitomycin C) prior to entering the study or those who have not recovered (=\< grade 1) from clinically significant adverse events due to agents administered more than 4 weeks earlier; prior treatment with a platinum-based chemotherapy regimen in combination with thoracic radiation therapy is allowed for patients with ES-SCLC provided that recurrence of the SCLC occurred more than 6 months from definitive therapy for limited-stage small cell lung cancer; no other prior chemotherapy is allowed for the patients with ES-SCLC
* Failure to recover fully (as judged by the investigator) from prior surgical procedures
* Concurrent treatment with an investigational agent other than the investigational agent(s) used in this study OR treatment within 4 weeks of study entry with any investigational agent(s) or device(s)
* Any prior use of racemic gossypol or AT-101
* History of allergic reactions attributed to compounds of similar chemical or biologic composition to AT-101 or other agents used in study
* Requirement for routine use of hematopoietic growth factors (including granulocyte colony stimulating factor, granulocyte macrophage colony stimulating factor, or interleukin-11) or platelet transfusions to maintain absolute neutrophil counts or platelets counts above the required thresholds for study entry; if patient requires routine use of erythropoietin, eligibility at investigator discretion
* Any condition (e.g., gastrointestinal tract disease resulting in an inability to take oral medication or a requirement for IV alimentation, prior surgical procedures affecting absorption, or active peptic ulcer disease) that impairs their ability to swallow and retain AT-101 tablets
* Patients with malabsorption syndrome, disease significantly affecting gastrointestinal function, or resection of the stomach or small bowel are excluded; subjects with ulcerative colitis, inflammatory bowel disease, or a partial or complete small bowel obstruction are also excluded
* Uncontrolled intercurrent illness including, but not limited to, ongoing or active infection, symptomatic congestive heart failure, unstable angina pectoris, cardiac arrhythmia, or psychiatric illness/social situations that would limit compliance with study requirements
* Pregnant women are excluded from this study because the effects of AT-101 on the developing human fetus are unknown, but could potentially include teratogenic or abortifacient effects; because there is an unknown but potential risk for adverse events in nursing infants secondary to treatment of the mother with AT-101, breastfeeding should be discontinued if the mother is treated with AT-101; these potential risks may also apply to other agents used in this study
* Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-positive patients on combination antiretroviral therapy are ineligible because of the potential for pharmacokinetic interactions with AT-101 or other agents used in this study; in addition, these patients are at increased risk of lethal infections when treated with marrow-suppressive therapy; appropriate studies will be undertaken in patients receiving combination antiretroviral therapy when indicated
* Patients with \> grade 2 symptomatic hypercalcemia (based on investigator discretion)