Pixantrone, Cytarabine, Methylprednisolone, and Cisplatin in Treating Patients With Aggressive Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma in First Relapse

DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:

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

  * Any stage, with or without B symptoms
  * The following subtypes are eligible:

    * Diffuse large cell (B and T cell types)
    * Anaplastic large cell
    * Diffuse mixed cell
    * Immunoblastic large cell
    * Follicular large cell
    * Transformed follicular NHL
    * Diffuse aggressive not otherwise classified
    * Burkitt-like lymphoma
* Bone marrow positive or negative
* At least 1 measurable lesion

  * Patients with bone marrow as the only site of disease are eligible without a measurable lesion
* No more than 1 episode of progressive disease, occurring after a response (complete response \[CR\], complete response unconfirmed \[CR\_u\], or partial response \[PR\]) to prior chemotherapy\* NOTE: \*Patients with less than a CR, CRu, or PR and no progression, but who are good candidates for high-dose chemotherapy with stem cell support may be eligible (will be decided on an individual basis)
* No chemotherapy-refractory disease, defined as follows:

  * Stable or progressive disease documented at restaging immediately after the completion of induction therapy
* No lymphoblastic lymphoma, or mantle cell lymphoma

PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:

Age

* 18 and over

Performance status

* WHO 0-1

Life expectancy

* At least 3 months

Hematopoietic

* Neutrophil count at least 1,500/mm\^3\*
* Platelet count at least 100,000/mm\^3\* NOTE: \*Lower values may be accepted if clearly due to bone marrow involvement by lymphoma

Hepatic

* Bilirubin no greater than 1.5 times upper limit of normal (ULN)\*
* AST or ALT no greater than 2.0 times ULN\*
* Alkaline phosphatase no greater than 2.0 times ULN\*
* No history or clinical symptoms of hepatitis B or hepatitis C virus

  * Patients with seropositivity due to prior vaccination for hepatitis B are eligible NOTE: \*Higher values may be accepted if clearly due to liver involvement by lymphoma

Renal

* Creatinine no greater than 1.5 mg/dL

Cardiovascular

* LVEF at least 50% by MUGA
* No clinically significant cardiovascular abnormalities
* No New York Heart Association grade II-IV cardiovascular disease
* No myocardial infarction within the past 6 months
* No severe cardiac arrhythmia
* No uncontrolled hypertension

Other

* Not pregnant or nursing
* Negative pregnancy test
* Fertile patients must use effective contraception during and for 6 months after study participation
* HIV negative
* No clinically significant neurological abnormalities
* No condition that would preclude study safety or interfere with study results
* No concurrent serious uncontrolled infection

PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:

Biologic therapy

* Prior rituximab immediately after the first chemotherapy regimen allowed

Chemotherapy

* See Disease Characteristics
* See Biologic therapy
* At least 6 months since prior anthracycline therapy (e.g., cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, vincristine, and prednisone \[CHOP\])
* More than 2 years since prior fludarabine
* More than 2 years since prior nitrosoureas
* More than 1 year since prior platinum-based chemotherapy or cytarabine, unless a CR or CR\_u was achieved
* No prior cumulative dose of cisplatin greater than 600 mg/m\^2
* No prior single or cumulative dose of doxorubicin greater than 450 mg/m\^2

Endocrine therapy

* Not specified

Radiotherapy

* No prior radiotherapy to the whole pelvis
* No prior radioimmunotherapy

Surgery

* More than 4 weeks since prior major thoracic and/or abdominal surgery
* At least 1 week since prior minor surgery

Other

* Recovered from prior therapy

  * Alopecia allowed
  * Grade 1 peripheral neuropathy allowed
* More than 30 days since prior participation in another investigational drug study
* No other concurrent investigational drugs