Patients receive oral R-(-)-gossypol twice daily on days 1-3, cisplatin intravenously (IV) over 60 minutes on day 1*, and etoposide IV over 30 minutes on days 1*-3. Treatment repeats every 21 days for up to 6 courses during the dose escalation and 4 courses in the expanded extensive stage small cell lung cancer cohort, in the absence of disease progression or unacceptable toxicity.