DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS: Histologically proven Hodgkin's disease No more than 5 weeks since diagnostic biopsy No B symptoms Clinical/pathologic stages (all histologies) as follows: Stage IA/IIA with mediastinal mass less than one third of chest diameter Stage IIIA limited to spleen or splenic, celiac, or portal nodes and lesions no larger than 6 cm Surgical staging required if: Clinical and imaging findings equivocal Tanner stage IV/V for whom radiotherapy is planned Concurrent registration on protocols POG-8828 (late effects study) and POG- 8829 (epidemiology study) required