DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS: Histologically confirmed low grade follicular lymphoma, mantle cell lymphoma, or chronic lymphocytic leukemia with no greater than 12 months of prior standard therapy Follicular lymphoma Must have poor prognosis disease defined as any of the following: Any nodal or extranodal tumor mass with a diameter more than 7 cm Involvement of at least 3 nodal sites, each of which has a diameter greater than 3 cm Systemic symptoms Substantial splenic involvement no greater than 5 cm below left costal margin Serous effusions (ascites, pleural or pericardial effusions) Orbital or epidural involvement Ureteral compression Leukemia presentation (at least 500/microliter) Increased LDH level Greater than 20% bone marrow involvement Mantle cell lymphoma No mantle zone morphology Chronic lymphocytic leukemia Must have either anemia (hemoglobin less than 10 g/dL), thrombocytopenia (less than 100,000/mm3), cytogenetic abnormalities including +12 and 11q, elevated LDH levels, labeling index at least 2%, systemic symptoms, or hepatosplenomegaly No active 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.