Combination Chemotherapy Plus Peripheral Stem Cell Transplantation in Treating Patients With Newly Diagnosed Aggressive Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma

DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:

* Histologically confirmed aggressive non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL)

  * Diffuse large B-cell lymphoma
  * Primary mediastinal large B-cell lymphoma
  * Anaplastic large cell lymphoma (B-cell, T-cell, or null-cell type)
* At least two of the following risk factors:

  * Stage III or IV
  * LDH greater than upper limit of normal (ULN)
  * ECOG 2, 3, or 4
* No CNS involvement

PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:

Age:

* 18 to 60

Performance status:

* See Disease Characteristics
* ECOG 0-4

Life expectancy:

* Not specified

Hematopoietic:

* Not specified

Hepatic:

* No hepatitis B or C
* AST or ALT no greater than 2 times ULN\*
* Bilirubin no greater than 2.34 mg/dL\* NOTE: \*Unless due to tumor involvement

Renal:

* Creatinine clearance at least 60 mL/min (unless due to tumor involvement)

Cardiovascular:

* No significant heart failure
* LVEF normal
* No active angina pectoris
* No myocardial infarction within the past 6 months
* No major ventricular arrhythmia

Pulmonary:

* No significant lung disorder

Other:

* HIV negative
* No severe active acute or chronic infection
* No severe psychoses
* No prior or concurrent malignancy except adequately treated carcinoma in situ of the cervix or nonmelanomatous skin cancer
* Not pregnant or nursing
* Fertile patients must use effective contraception

PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:

Biologic therapy:

* Not specified

Chemotherapy:

* No prior chemotherapy for NHL (except emergency therapy, but no more than 1 course of standard chemotherapy)

Endocrine therapy:

* Not specified

Radiotherapy:

* No prior radiotherapy for NHL (except emergency therapy of no greater than 600 cGy radiation)
* No concurrent prophylactic radiotherapy to the brain

Surgery:

* Not specified