PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS: Age: 18 to 85 Performance status: WHO 0-2 Life expectancy: Not specified Hematopoietic: WBC at least 3,500/mm3 OR Granulocyte count at least 2,000/mm3 Hemoglobin at least 9.0 g/dL Platelet count at least 100,000/mm3 Hepatic: Bilirubin no greater than 1.5 times upper limit of normal (ULN) SGOT no greater than 2.5 times ULN Renal: Creatinine no greater than 1.5 times ULN Other: No other prior malignancies in past 5 years except curatively treated basal cell or squamous cell carcinoma of the skin No other significant disease that would preclude study No concurrent active severe infections