This phase I trial studies the side effects and best dose of vorinostat when given together with azacitidine in treating patients with nasopharyngeal cancer or nasal natural killer T-cell lymphoma that has recurred (come back) at or near the same place as the original (primary) tumor, usually after a period of time during which the cancer could not be detected or has spread to other parts of the body. Drugs used in chemotherapy, such as vorinostat and azacitidine, work in different ways to stop the growth of cancer cells, either by killing the cells, by stopping them from dividing, or by stopping them from spreading. Vorinostat and azacitidine also may stop the growth of cancer cells by blocking some of the enzymes needed for cell growth. Giving vorinostat together with azacitidine may kill more cancer cells.

PRIMARY OBJECTIVES:

I. Define toxicity profile of escalating doses of suberoylanilide hydroxamic acid (SAHA) given in conjunction with a fixed dose of 5 Azacytidine (5AC) (azacitidine) in patients with locally recurrent and metastatic nasopharyngeal carcinoma and natural killer (NK)-T cell nasal lymphoma.

II. Define the biologically optimal dose of SAHA given in conjunction with a fixed dose of 5AC in patients with locally recurrent and metastatic nasopharyngeal carcinoma and NKT cell nasal lymphoma based on evidence of Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) lytic induction in tumor biopsies and plasma.

III. Study the effect of 5AC on the pharmacokinetic of SAHA in patients with locally recurrent and metastatic nasopharyngeal carcinoma and NK-T cell nasal lymphoma.

IV. Assess the effect of SAHA on histone acetylation as measured in tumor and peripheral blood mononuclear cells of patients with locally recurrent and metastatic nasopharyngeal carcinoma and NK-T cell nasal lymphoma V. Assess the effect of 5AC on EBV promoter demethylation as measured in tumor patients with locally recurrent and metastatic nasopharyngeal carcinoma and NK-T cell nasal lymphoma.

OUTLINE: This is a dose-escalation study of vorinostat (SAHA).

Patients receive azacitidine subcutaneously (SC) on days 1-10 and vorinostat orally (PO) twice daily (BID) on days 1-14. Treatment repeats every 28 days for 4 courses in the absence of disease progression or unacceptable toxicity.

Patients with responding disease may continue treatment at the discretion of the principal investigator. Cohorts of 3-6 patients receive escalating doses of SAHA until the maximum tolerated dose (MTD) is determined.

Inclusion Criteria:

• Biopsy proven nasopharyngeal carcinoma (World Health Organization [WHO] type 3) or extranodal NK-T-cell non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, nasal type (recurrence or metastases does not require tissue documentation)
• Patients must have metastatic disease or locally recurrent disease that is not amendable to surgical resection
• Patients must have locally recurrent disease that is not amendable to further treatment with radiotherapy with curative intent
• Patients must have metastatic disease or locally recurrent disease that has been treated with at least one regimen of chemotherapeutic agents after relapse; patient must be at least 4 weeks since prior chemotherapy or radiation therapy
• Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) performance status =< 2 (Karnofsky >= 60%)
• Life expectancy greater than 6 months
• Leukocytes >= 3,000/ul
• Absolute neutrophil count >= 1,500/ul
• Platelets >= 100,000/ul
• Total bilirubin =< 1.5 X 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
• Prothrombin time =< 1.5 X normal institutional limits
• Serum albumin >= 2.7 grams/deciliter
• Creatinine =< 1.5 X normal institutional limits or a calculated creatinine clearance of > 50 mls/min
• Sexually active women of child-bearing potential should have a negative serum or urine pregnancy test within 21 days of enrolling on trial; 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 participating in this study, she should inform her treating physician immediately
• Patients must be informed of the investigational nature of the treatment, results that might be expected, and potential toxicities; they must be able to give informed written consent according to federal and institutional guidelines

Exclusion Criteria:

• Patients who have had chemotherapy or radiotherapy within 4 weeks (6 weeks for nitrosoureas or mitomycin C) prior to entering the study or those who have not recovered from adverse events due to agents administered more than 4 weeks earlier
• Patients may not be receiving any other investigational agents
• Patients with known central nervous system (CNS) involvement (brain metastases or carcinomatous meningitis should be excluded from this clinical trial; patients with skull base involvement are eligible for this study
• History of allergic reactions attributed to compounds of similar chemical or biologic composition to 5AC or SAHA
• Patients should not have taken sodium valproate for at least 2 weeks prior to enrollment
• 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; breastfeeding should be discontinued if the mother is treated with 5AC and SAHA
• Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-positive patients receiving combination anti-retroviral therapy are excluded from the study
• Patients with chronic active hepatitis B are excluded from the study