OUTLINE: All patients receive one cycle of oral chemotherapy, 6 weeks in duration. Etoposide is given on days 1-3 and cyclophosphamide and procarbazine are given on days 22-31 of each cycle. Lomustine is given on day 1 of cycles 1 and 3 only. Filgrastim (granulocyte colony-stimulating factor; G-CSF) is given subcutaneously on days 5-21 and 33-42 of each cycle.