Topotecan Hydrochloride or Cyclodextrin-Based Polymer-Camptothecin CRLX101 in Treating Patients With Recurrent Small Cell Lung Cancer

Inclusion Criteria

• •Patients must have histologically or cytologically confirmed small cell lung cancer
• •* All patients must have extensive stage disease; extensive stage patients are defined as those patients with bilateral or contralateral supraclavicular adenopathy or contralateral hilar adenopathy or malignant pleural effusion or extrathoracic metastatic disease
• •Patients must have measurable disease, defined as at least one lesion that can be accurately measured in at least one dimension (longest diameter to be recorded for non-nodal lesions and short axis for nodal lesions) as \>= 20 mm with conventional techniques or as \>= 10 mm with spiral computed tomography (CT) scan, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), or calipers by clinical exam
• •Patients must have been treated with 1 prior platinum-based (cisplatin or carboplatin) regimen; prior thoracic radiation for limited stage disease is allowed; patients must be at least 4 weeks since prior chemotherapy or radiation
• •Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) performance status =\< 2 (Karnofsky \>= 60%)
• •Life expectancy of greater than 3 months
• •Leukocytes \>= 3,000/mcL
• •Absolute neutrophil count \>= 1,500/mcL
• •Platelets \>= 100,000/mcL
• •Total bilirubin within normal institutional limits
• •Aspartate aminotransferase (AST)(serum glutamic oxaloacetic transaminase \[SGOT\])/alanine aminotransferase (ALT) (serum glutamate pyruvate transaminase \[SGPT\]) =\< 2.5 x institutional upper limit of normal
• •Creatinine within normal institutional limits OR
• •Creatinine clearance \>= 60 mL/min/1.73 m\^2 for patients with creatinine levels above institutional normal
• •Baseline imaging studies performed =\< 28 days of study registration
• •The effects of CRLX101 on the developing human fetus are unknown; 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 and for the duration of study participation; should a woman become pregnant or suspect she is pregnant while she or her partner is participating in this study, she should inform her treating physician immediately; men treated or enrolled on this protocol must also agree to use adequate contraception prior to the study, for the duration of study participation, and 4 months after completion of CRLX101 administration
• •Ability to understand and the willingness to sign a written informed consent document