Vaccine Therapy Plus Sargramostim Following Chemotherapy in Treating Stage III or Stage IV Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma

RATIONALE: Drugs used in chemotherapy use different ways to stop tumor cells from dividing so they stop growing or die. Vaccines may make the body build an immune response to kill tumor cells. Sargramostim may stimulate a person's immune system and help to kill tumor cells. PURPOSE: Phase II trial to study the effectiveness of vaccine therapy plus sargramostim following chemotherapy in treating patients who have stage III or stage IV non-Hodgkin's lymphoma.

OBJECTIVES: I. Determine the ability of recombinant idiotype immunotherapy to stimulate a specific immune response against the B cell idiotype of the malignant clone that constitutes the tumor in patients with previously untreated stage III or IV indolent non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. II. Determine the safety and toxicity of this treatment regimen using Genitope Corporation's molecular rescue technology in this patient population. OUTLINE: Patients receive induction chemotherapy consisting of oral cyclophosphamide, vincristine, and prednisone (CVP). Treatment repeats every 3 weeks until the maximal clinical response is achieved followed by 2 additional courses of consolidation therapy for up to a maximum of 10 courses. Patients not achieving adequate response receive up to 6 courses of alternate chemotherapy consisting of cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, vincristine, and prednisone. At 3 months or up to 1 year following completion of chemotherapy, patients achieving adequate disease response receive vaccination consisting of recombinant tumor derived immunoglobulin idiotype with keyhole limpet hemocyanin conjugate subcutaneously (SQ) at 2 sites immediately followed by sargramostim (GM-CSF) SQ on day 1. Patients receive GM-CSF alone on days 2-4. Vaccination repeats every 4 weeks for 4 doses, followed 12 weeks later by the fifth and final dose. Patients are followed every 3 months for 2 years, every 6 months for 2 years, and then annually thereafter until disease progression.