A Phase II Study of Cisplatin Plus Etoposide (PE) Plus Bevacizumab (NSC #704865) for Previously Untreated Extensive Stage Small Cell Lung Cancer

Study start date: January 1, 2006

Inclusion Criteria: * Histologic (or cytologic) proof of small cell lung cancer must be confirmed * Patients must be clinically staged as extensive disease * Patients must have measurable disease as defined by RECIST criteria; baseline scans/evaluation used to document measurable disease must be done within 4 weeks prior to registration; patients with measurable disease only or with both measurable and non-measurable disease are eligible * Patients must have ECOG performance status of 0, 1, or 2 * Patients may not have had prior chemotherapy, immunotherapy, or biological therapy for lung cancer; previously irradiated lesions must not be the only site of measurable disease * ANC \> 1500/mm\^3 * Platelets \>= 100,000/mm\^3 * Creatinine =\< 1.5 mg * Total bilirubin =\< 1.5 mg * Pregnant or breastfeeding women are excluded from the study because the agents used in this study may be teratogenic to a fetus or child and there is no information on the excretion of the agents or their metabolites into breast milk; all females of childbearing potential must have a blood test or urine study within 2 weeks, prior to registration to rule out pregnancy * Women of childbearing potential and sexually active males are strongly advised to use an effective method of contraception * Patients must be disease-free for \> 5 years if they have a history of prior malignancies (except for cured basal or squamous cell skin cancers, or carcinoma in situ of the cervix) * Patients must be considered on psychosocial grounds to be willing and able to comply with the requirements of treatment and follow-up * Patients must not have CNS metastases; a head CT is required within 4 weeks prior to study entry for evaluation (MRIs are also acceptable) * Urine dipstick for proteinuria of less than 1+ is required within 7 days prior to study entry; if urine dipstick is \>= 1+ then a 24 hour urine for protein must demonstrate =\< 1 gm of protein in 24 hours to allow participation in the study; NOTE: Urinalysis is also acceptable * Patients must have INR =\< 1.5 and a PTT no greater than the institutional upper limit of normal within 1 week prior to registration * Patients must not have 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 * Patients must not have history of thrombotic or hemorrhagic disorders; patients must not have recently (within 6 months of registration) experienced arterial thromboembolic events, including transient ischemic attack (TIA), cerebrovascular accident (CVA), unstable angina, or myocardial infarction (MI); patients must also not have clinically significant peripheral artery disease * Patients with history of hypertension must be well-controlled (=\< 150/85) on a stable regimen of anti-hypertensive therapy * Patients must not be receiving chronic daily treatment with aspirin (\> 325 mg/day) or nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory agents known to inhibit platelet function; treatment with dipyridamole (Persantine), ticlopidine (Ticlid), clopidogrel (Plavix) and/or cilostazol (Pletal) is also not allowed * Patients must not have serious non-healing wound, ulcer, or bone fracture, or major surgical procedure within 28 days prior to starting treatment; patients must not have had minor surgery or needle biopsies within 7 days of treatment * Patients must not be on therapeutic anticoagulation * Patients with a history of gross hemoptysis (defined as bright red blood of a 1/2 teaspoon or more) will be excluded from this trial * Patients must have had no prior radiation therapy to the site of evaluable disease