Alemtuzumab and Combination Chemotherapy in Treating Patients With Stage I, Stage II, Stage III, or Stage IV Peripheral T-Cell Lymphoma

DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:

* Diagnosis of peripheral T-cell lymphoma (PTCL), including the following subtypes:

  * PTCL not otherwise specified
  * Angioimmunoblastic T-cell lymphoma
  * Anaplastic lymphoma kinase-negative anaplastic large cell lymphoma
  * Intestinal T-cell lymphoma
* Bulky stage IA and stages IB-IV disease (Ann Arbor staging system)
* Expression of CD52 by the tumor
* Measurable or evaluable disease
* No anaplastic lymphoma kinase-positive anaplastic large-cell lymphoma
* No CNS involvement with non-Hodgkin lymphoma

PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:

* WHO performance status 0-2
* No presence of other serious, uncontrolled medical conditions
* No significant anthracycline-related cardiac impairment
* LVEF ≥ 50%
* Creatinine ≤ 1.5 mg/dL
* Bilirubin ≤ 2 times normal value unless due to disease
* Not pregnant or nursing
* Fertile patients must use effective barrier contraception during and for 1 month after completion of study treatment
* No previous malignancy except adequately treated nonmelanoma skin cancer or cervical intraepithelial neoplasia
* No positive serology or non-consenting to test for any of the following:

  * HIV
  * Hepatitis B or C
  * Human T-lymphotropic virus type 1 (HTLV-1)

PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:

* No prior cytotoxic chemotherapy
* Prior radiotherapy may be allowed at the trial coordinator's discretion
* Concurrent consolidation radiotherapy may be given at the clinician's discretion