OBJECTIVES: I. Determine the complete and partial response rate of patients with relapsed or refractory B-cell non-Hodgkin's lymphoma treated with rituximab and high-dose carmustine, etoposide, cytarabine and melphalan followed by autologous bone marrow or peripheral blood stem cell transplantation. II. Determine the toxicity profile of this regimen in these patients. III. Compare the levels of soluble CD20 antigen and rituximab blood levels with patient outcomes in this patient population.