DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS: Histologically confirmed B cell low grade non-Hodgkin's lymphoma Stage II, III or IV Measurable disease No chronic lymphatic leukemia, prolymphocytic leukemia and hairy cell leukemia, angioimmunoblastic lymphadenopathy, mycosis fungoides, Sezary's syndrome and T-zone lymphoma, plasmacytoma, T cell lymphomas, or centroblastic lymphoma No CNS 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.