Bortezomib, Combination Chemotherapy, and Rituximab as First-Line Therapy in Treating Patients With Stage III or Stage IV Follicular Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma

DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:

* Histologically confirmed follicular non-Hodgkin's lymphoma meeting the following criteria:

  * Stage III or IV disease
  * Grade 1, 2, or 3 disease requiring systemic first-line treatment
  * No transformation to diffuse large cell lymphoma
* At least 1 bidimensionally measurable lesion meeting 1 of the following criteria:

  * Lymph nodes \> 1.5 cm x 1.0 cm by physical exam or CT scan
  * Other non-nodal lesion ≥ 1.0 cm x 1.0 cm by MRI or CT scan OR ≥ 1.0 cm x 1.0 cm (e.g., skin lesions or nodules) by physical exam
* Must have a medical indication for treatment, as indicated by 1 of the following:

  * Presence of constitutional symptoms that are attributed to lymphoma (e.g., B symptoms, including night sweats, fever, weight loss, fatigue, or pain)
  * Lymphadenopathy that requires treatment based on presence of associated symptoms, potential threat to organ function (e.g., ureteric compromise from retroperitoneal disease), or degree of enlargement (i.e., \> 5 cm)
  * Impairment of normal organ function (e.g., impaired hematopoiesis due to marrow involvement by lymphoma or from splenomegaly and hypersplenism)
  * Immune-related complications of lymphoma that require therapy
  * Rate of disease progression for which observation is deemed inappropriate
* No history of any other lymphoproliferative disorder or evidence of transformation to an aggressive histology lymphoma
* No known CNS involvement by lymphoma

PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:

* ECOG performance status 0-2
* Life expectancy ≥ 12 weeks
* Not pregnant or nursing
* Negative pregnancy test
* Fertile patients must use effective contraception
* Platelet count ≥ 75,000/mm\^3\*
* Absolute neutrophil count ≥ 1,000/mm\^3\*
* Creatinine ≤ 1.5 times upper limit of normal (ULN)
* Bilirubin ≤ 1.5 times ULN
* AST or ALT ≤ 2.5 times ULN (5 times ULN if liver involvement with lymphoma)
* Able (i.e., sufficiently fluent) and willing to complete the quality of life questionnaires in either English or French

  * Inability (illiteracy in English or French, loss of sight, or other equivalent reason) to complete the questionnaires will not make the patient ineligible for the study
* No history of other malignancies, except for the following:

  * Adequately treated nonmelanoma skin cancer
  * Curatively treated in situ cancer of the cervix
  * Ductal carcinoma in situ of the breast (as long as radiation limitation is not exceeded)
  * Other solid tumors curatively treated with no evidence of disease for \> 5 years
* No history of allergic reactions attributed to compounds containing boron or mannitol
* No history of an unusual or severe allergic reaction to rituximab or similar agent
* No pre-existing neuropathy ≥ grade 2
* No known HIV infection
* No other serious illness or medical condition that would preclude study participation, including any of the following:

  * Active, uncontrolled bacterial, fungal, or viral infection
  * Significant cardiac dysfunction
  * Cardiovascular disease NOTE: \*Exceptions will be allowed for values below these thresholds in patients with marrow involvement by lymphoma or lymphoma-related hypersplenism

PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:

* No prior systemic therapy for lymphoma
* No prior bortezomib, cyclophosphamide, or vincristine
* At least 4 weeks since prior radiotherapy that involved ≤ 25% of functioning bone marrow and recovered

  * Exceptions may be made for low-dose, nonmyelosuppressive radiotherapy or if the irradiated field is not a significant marrow-bearing area
* At least 2 weeks since prior major surgery
* No other concurrent anticancer therapy, investigational agents, corticosteroids (except for physiologic replacement or antiemesis), cytotoxic chemotherapy, or immunotherapy