Rituximab and Oblimersen in Treating Patients With Stage II, Stage III, or Stage IV Follicular Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma

Inclusion Criteria:

* Previously untreated, histologically confirmed follicular lymphoma, WHO classification, grade 1, 2, or 3a (\> 15 centroblasts per high power field with centrocytes present) which is stage III, IV, or bulky (i.e., single mass \>= 7 cm in any unidimensional measurement) stage II
* Institutional flow cytometry or immunohistochemistry must confirm CD20 antigen expression
* Patients classified as high risk according to the Follicular Lymphoma International Prognostic Index (FLIPI) should be considered for CALGB 50102/SWOG S0016
* No prior therapy for non-Hodgkin lymphoma including chemotherapy, radiation or immunotherapy (e.g., monoclonal antibody-based therapy)
* No corticosteroids within two weeks prior to study, except for maintenance therapy for a non-malignant disease
* ECOG performance status 0-2
* Measurable disease must be present either on physical examination or imaging studies; non-measurable disease alone is not acceptable; any tumor mass \> 1 cm is acceptable; lesions that are considered non-measurable include the following:

  * Bone lesions (lesions if present should be noted)
  * Ascites
  * Pleural/pericardial effusion
  * Lymphangitis cutis/pulmonis
  * Bone marrow (involvement by non-Hodgkin lymphoma should be noted)
* No known CNS involvement by lymphoma
* No known HIV infection
* Non-pregnant and non-nursing; women and men of reproductive potential should agree to use an effective means of birth control throughout their participation in this study; appropriate methods of birth control include oral contraceptives, implantable hormonal contraceptives, or double barrier method (diaphragm plus condom)
* Patients with a "currently active" second malignancy, other than nonmelanoma skin cancers are not eligible; (this includes Waldenstrom's Macroglobulinemia, since such patents have experienced transient increases in IgM following initiation of rituximab, with the potential for hyperviscosity syndrome requiring plasmapheresis); patients are not considered to have a "currently active" malignancy if they have completed anti-cancer therapy, and are considered by their physician to be at less than 30% risk of relapse
* ANC \>= 1000/uL
* Platelet count \>= 50,000/uL
* Creatinine =\< 2 x ULN
* Total bilirubin =\< 2 x ULN; unless attributable to Gilbert's disease