PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS: Age: 70 and under Performance status: 0-3 Life expectancy: Not specified Hematopoietic: Not specified Hepatic: Bilirubin greater than 2.0 mg/dL and no greater than 3.0 mg/dL allowed with 50% reduction in drug doses Renal: Creatinine less than 3.0 mg/dL Cardiovascular: No overt congestive heart failure No uncontrollable ventricular arrhythmias No uncontrollable hypertension If cardiac ejection fraction is less than 45% of predicted, an echocardiogram and a cardiac consult must be obtained to ascertain cardiac tolerance of anthracycline therapy Neurological: No cerebellar dysfunction Other: Fever, infection, or other complications of disease allowed Not pregnant or nursing Effective contraception required of all fertile patients