Fludeoxyglucose F 18 Positron Emission Tomography in Predicting Risk of Relapse in Patients With Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma Who Are Undergoing Combination Chemotherapy With or Without Autologous Stem Cell or Bone Marrow Transplant

DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:

* Histologically confirmed aggressive non-Hodgkin's lymphoma of 1 of the following subtypes:

  * Diffuse large B-cell lymphoma
  * Mediastinal (thymic) B-cell lymphoma
  * Grade 3 follicular lymphoma
  * Anaplastic large cell lymphoma
  * Peripheral T-cell lymphoma
* Must have adequate staging of disease by the following techniques:

  * CT scan or MRI of affected sites
  * Bone marrow biopsy (in cases where results influence the duration of chemotherapy only)
  * Lumbar puncture (if clinically indicated)
* Stage I-IV disease
* Any International Prognostic Index risk category
* Radiographically measurable disease
* None of the following aggressive non-Hodgkin's subtypes are allowed:

  * Mantle cell lymphoma
  * Lymphoblastic lymphoma
  * Burkitt's lymphoma
  * Mycosis fungoides/Sezary's syndrome
  * HTLV-1-associated T-cell leukemia/lymphoma
  * Primary CNS lymphoma
  * HIV-associated lymphoma
  * Transformed lymphomas
* No prior diagnosis of another hematologic malignancy
* No known progressive disease during prior first-line chemotherapy
* No active CNS involvement by lymphoma, except CNS involvement at diagnosis that is previously treated and in remission

PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:

Age

* 18 and over

Performance status

* ECOG 0-4 (0-2 for peripheral blood stem cell \[PBSC\] or bone marrow transplantation \[BMT\] patients)

Life expectancy

* Not specified

Hematopoietic

* Absolute neutrophil count \> 1,000/mm\^3\*
* Platelet count ≥ 75,000/mm\^3 NOTE: \*PBSC or BMT patients only

Hepatic

* Bilirubin ≤ 2.0 mg/dL unless due to Gilbert's disease or lymphoma\*
* No known significant hepatic dysfunction that is not expected to improve and would preclude PBSC or BMT NOTE: \*PBSC or BMT patients only

Renal

* Creatinine ≤ 2.0 mg/dL\*
* No known significant renal dysfunction that is not expected to improve and would preclude PBSC or BMT NOTE: \*PBSC or BMT patients only

Cardiovascular

* Ejection fraction ≥ 45% by echocardiogram or MUGA\*
* No known significant cardiac dysfunction that is not expected to improve and would preclude PBSC or BMT NOTE: \*PBSC or BMT patients only; a cardiology consult and evaluation may override ejection fraction criterion

Pulmonary

* FEV\_1 and FVC ≥ 50% of predicted for patients who have not received thoracic or mantle radiotherapy (75% of predicted for patients who have received thoracic or mantle radiotherapy)\*
* No known significant pulmonary dysfunction that is not expected to improve and would preclude PBSC or BMT NOTE: \*PBSC or BMT patients only

Other

* Not pregnant or nursing
* Negative pregnancy test
* Fertile patients must use effective contraception
* No other malignancy within the past 3 years except carcinoma in situ of the cervix or nonmelanoma skin cancer
* No known HIV positivity OR HIV negative (for PBSC or BMT patients only)
* No serious illness that would preclude study participation
* No contraindication to autologous BMT

PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:

Biologic therapy

* Not specified

Chemotherapy

* See Disease Characteristics
* No more than 3 prior courses of chemotherapy for lymphoma

Endocrine therapy

* Not specified

Radiotherapy

* Not specified

Surgery

* Not specified