Combination Chemotherapy in Treating Older Patients With Intermediate- or High-Grade Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma

You may be eligible if

• DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS: Histologically confirmed intermediate- or high-grade non- Hodgkin's lymphoma of the following types: Diffuse centroblastic Diffuse immunoblastic B- and T-cell lymphoblastic Peripheral T-cell (mixed or large cell) and Ki-1 No Stage IA (nonbulky) disease suitable for radiotherapy alone
• PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS: Age: 65 and over Performance status: Not specified Hematopoietic: Not specified Hepatic: Not specified Renal: Not specified Cardiovascular: No severe ischemic heart disease No cardiomyopathy that would restrict doxorubicin use Other: No other serious medical conditions that would affect treatment outcome No prior malignancy except: Nonmelanomatous skin cancer Adequately treated in situ cervical cancer Sufficiently fit to receive treatment
• PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY: Biologic therapy: Not specified Chemotherapy: No prior chemotherapy Endocrine therapy: Not specified Radiotherapy: No prior radiotherapy Surgery: Not specified