PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS: Age: See Disease Characteristics 60 and over Performance status: ECOG 0-3 Life expectancy: Not specified Hematopoietic: Absolute granulocyte count at least 1,500/mm3 (unless due to lymphoma) Platelet count greater than 100,000/mm3 (unless due to lymphoma) Hepatic: Bilirubin no greater than 3.0 mg/dL Renal: Creatinine less than 2.1 mg/dL OR Creatinine clearance at least 60 mL/min Cardiovascular: No active heart disease including congestive heart failure, myocardial infarction within the past 3 months, or symptomatic ventricular arrhythmia LVEF at least 45% if prior history of heart disease exists Other: HIV negative No other malignancy within the past 5 years except squamous cell or basal cell skin cancer or carcinoma in situ of the cervix