DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS: Immunologically diagnosed Waldenstrom's macroglobulinemia (WM) Evaluable quantifiable IgM One of the following criteria must be met: 1) Patient demonstrates clinical symptoms such as fatigue, dizziness, visual inacuity, or hemorrhagic manifestations of WM with anemia, hyperviscosity, thrombocytopenia, or coagulopathies 2) Advanced tumor mass present involving ONE of the following: Extensive lymphadenopathy (greater than 2 cm) Hepato or splenomegaly palpable on clinical examination Marked bone marrow infiltration greater than 50% 3) Progressive disease; i.e., increase in IgM concentration by at least 50%, and/or a drop of greater than 2 g/dL in hemoglobin (in the absence of gastrointestinal bleeding), and/or a greater than 50,000/mm3 decrease in platelets