OBJECTIVES: I. Develop an effective chemotherapy regimen with mild immunosuppressive and myelosuppressive properties to treat patients with AIDS-related lymphoma (ARL) who have severe T4 lymphopenia. II. Estimate the CR rate, lymphoma-free survival, and overall survival of non-T4 lymphopenic patients and patients who present with nonbulky Ann Arbor stage I ARL treated with standard regimens of known effectiveness. III. Evaluate the effects on long-term outlook of concurrent antiretroviral therapy, prophylactic antibiosis with trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole or aerosolized pentamidine, and prn use of granulocyte colony-stimulating factor for severe myelosuppression.