DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS: Histologically proven non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL) that has relapsed following or is resistant to at least 1 standard anticancer therapy or for which no curative therapy exists Intermediate or high grade NHL of one of the following types: Transformed low grade Diffuse small cleaved cell Diffuse large cell (including diffuse mixed cell and immunoblastic large cell) Primary mediastinal B-cell Follicular large cell (follicular center cell or grade III follicular cell) Anaplastic large cell Angiocentric (including nasal T-cell and pulmonary B-cell) Angioimmunoblastic T-cell lymphoma Peripheral T-cell Intestinal T-cell Intravascular lymphomatosis Lymphoblastic Diffuse small noncleaved cell/Burkitt's Adult T-cell leukemia/lymphoma Mantle cell Measurable disease A new classification scheme for adult non-Hodgkin's lymphoma has been adopted by PDQ. The terminology of "indolent" or "aggressive" lymphoma will replace the former terminology of "low", "intermediate", or "high" grade lymphoma. However, this protocol uses the former terminology.