Combination Chemotherapy in Treating Children With Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia, Osteosarcoma, or Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma

You may be eligible if

• DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:
• Histologic evidence of one of the following malignancies that has failed conventional therapy:
• * Acute lymphoblastic leukemia
• * Non-Hodgkin's lymphoma with bone marrow involvement
• * Osteogenic sarcoma
• In vitro transport resistance to methotrexate demonstrated by bone marrow aspirate assay
• PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:
• Age:
• 21 and under at diagnosis
• Performance status:
• ECOG 0-2
• Life expectancy:
• At least 8 weeks
• Hematopoietic:
• Granulocytopenia allowed with bone marrow involvement
• Thrombocytopenia allowed with bone marrow involvement
• Anemia allowed with bone marrow involvement
• Hepatic:
• (unless due to disease)
• Bilirubin no greater than 2.0 mg/dL
• AST no greater than 100
• Renal:
• Creatinine less than 1.5 mg/dL OR
• Creatinine clearance at least 60 mL/min
• Other:
• No other serious medical illness
• Not pregnant or nursing
• Fertile patients must use effective contraception
• PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:
• Biologic therapy:
• Prior bone marrow transplantation allowed
• Chemotherapy:
• At least 1 week since prior intrathecal treatment
• At least 2 weeks since prior systemic chemotherapy and recovered
• * At least 10 days for rapidly proliferating leukemia (i.e., WBC greater than 50,000)
• No concurrent chemotherapy
• Endocrine therapy:
• Not specified
• Radiotherapy:
• Prior radiotherapy allowed and recovered
• No concurrent radiotherapy
• Surgery:
• Not specified