Epratuzumab in Treating Patients With Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma

DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:

* Histologically confirmed diffuse large B-cell non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL)

  * Relapsed or refractory after at least 1 regimen of standard therapy

    * Prior therapy may include high-dose chemotherapy with autologous stem cell transplantation (ASCT) or immunotherapy
* Bidimensionally measurable disease

  * At least 1 lesion at least 1.5 cm by CT scan
* No primary or secondary CNS lymphoma
* No HIV-related lymphoma
* No known or suspected transformed lymphoma (prior or concurrent)
* No bulky disease (i.e., any single mass greater than 10.0 cm)
* No pleural effusion with positive cytology for lymphoma
* Most recent pathology specimen available for collection
* No rapid disease progression or symptoms that indicate disease progression requiring rapid intervention within the past 2 weeks (e.g., severe shortness of breath, severe pain, or gastrointestinal or genitourinary obstruction)

PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:

Age

* 18 and over

Performance status

* ECOG 0-2

Life expectancy

* At least 4 months

Hematopoietic

* Absolute neutrophil count at least 1,000/mm3
* Platelet count at least 50,000/mm3 (transfusion independent)
* Hemoglobin at least 9.0 g/dL

Hepatic

* Bilirubin no greater than 2 times upper limit of normal (ULN)
* AST and ALT less than 5 times ULN
* Hepatitis B surface antigen negative
* Hepatitis C negative

Renal

* Creatinine no greater than 2 times ULN

Other

* HIV negative
* No other primary malignancy within the past 3 years except squamous cell or basal cell skin cancer, carcinoma in situ of the cervix, or stage I prostate cancer
* No other serious nonmalignant condition that would preclude study
* No serious infection
* No known human antichimeric antibodies or human antihuman antibody positivity
* No type 1 hypersensitivity or anaphylactic reactions to murine proteins
* Not pregnant or nursing
* Negative pregnancy test
* Fertile patients must use effective contraception during and for at least 6 months after study

PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:

Biologic therapy

* See Disease Characteristics
* At least 4 weeks since prior immunotherapy (unless clearly progressing)
* At least 12 weeks since prior ASCT

Chemotherapy

* See Disease Characteristics
* At least 4 weeks since prior chemotherapy (unless clearly progressing)

Endocrine therapy

* Not specified

Radiotherapy

* No prior radioimmunotherapy

Surgery

* At least 4 weeks since prior major surgery (unless patient has fully recovered)

Other

* At least 30 days since prior enrollment in clinical trials involving investigational devices or drugs
* No concurrent enrollment in other clinical trials involving investigational devices or drugs
* No concurrent investigational agents for disease other than NHL