Combination Chemotherapy in Treating Patients With Newly Diagnosed Mantle Cell Lymphoma

OBJECTIVES: * Evaluate the complete response rate and duration of response in patients with newly diagnosed diffuse or nodular mantle cell lymphoma or their blastic variant treated with high-dose methotrexate and cytarabine and high-dose cyclophosphamide, dexamethasone, doxorubicin, and vincristine (HCVAD). OUTLINE: This is a multicenter study. Patients may receive either regimen A or both regimen A and regimen B, depending upon response. * Regimen A: Patients receive methotrexate IV over 24 hours on day 1. Cytarabine is administered IV over 2 hours every 12 hours on days 2 and 3. Filgrastim (G-CSF) is administered subcutaneously (SC) daily beginning on day 4 and continuing until blood counts recover. Treatment repeats every 21 days for up to 8 courses. * Regimen B: Patients receive cyclophosphamide IV over 3 hours every 12 hours on days 1-3. Doxorubicin is administered IV over 24 hours on days 4 and 5. Vincristine is administered IV over 30 minutes on days 4 and 11. Dexamethasone is administered orally or IV on days 1-4 and 11-14. G-CSF is administered SC beginning on day 6 and continuing until blood counts recover. Treatment repeats every 21 days for up to 7 courses. Patients are followed every 3 months for 1 year, every 4 months for 1 year, every 6 months for 2 years, and then annually thereafter. PROJECTED ACCRUAL: A total of 21-45 patients will be accrued for this study within 4 years.