Combination Chemotx in Treating Children or Adolescents With Newly Diagnosed Stg III or Stg IV Lymphoblastic Lymphoma

OBJECTIVES: * Compare the event-free survival and overall survival of children or adolescents with newly diagnosed disseminated stage III or IV lymphoblastic lymphoma treated with 4 chemotherapy regimens\*. * Determine whether treatment with a regimen without methotrexate maintains the same disease-free survival as NHL/BFM 90 in these patients. * Determine whether intensification with anthracycline and cyclophosphamide improves disease-free survival in these patients. * Collect outcome data on uniformly treated patients with localized disease or CNS-positive disease. * Determine whether rapid reduction in tumor volume by chest radiography and CT scan is predictive of improved outcome in patients treated with these regimens. * Determine the prevalence of bone marrow involvement at presentation in these patients. * Determine whether peripheral blood can replace bone marrow in the initial staging of these patients. * Determine the clinical significance of bone marrow and peripheral blood involvement in these patients. NOTE: \*All patients as of 4/2006 receive treatment on Arm III regimen only OUTLINE: Patients are stratified by disease characteristics (disseminated lymphoblastic lymphoma vs localized lymphoblastic lymphoma \[localized lymphoblastic lymphoma is closed to accrual as of 10/2005\]) and age. Patients with CNS negative disseminated lymphoblastic lymphoma are randomized to 1 of 4 treatment arms\*. Patients with testicular involvement at diagnosis are nonrandomly assigned to arm IV and do not receive testicular radiotherapy. Patients with localized lymphoblastic lymphoma (closed to accrual as of 10/2005) are not randomized. NOTE: \*All patients as of 4/2006 receive treatment on Arm III only * Localized lymphoblastic lymphoma (closed to accrual as of 10/2005): * Induction (5 weeks): Patients receive vincristine IV and daunorubicin IV over 15 minutes to 2 hours on days 0, 7, 14, and 21; oral prednisone on days 0-27; and asparaginase intramuscularly (IM) on days 3, 5, and 7 and then 3 times a week for 9 doses (during days 8-21). Patients also receive methotrexate intrathecally (IT) on days 7 and 28 and cytarabine IT on day 0. * Consolidation (5 weeks): Patients receive methotrexate IT on days 0, 7, 14, and 21 followed by cyclophosphamide IV over 1 hour on days 0 and 14; cytarabine IV on days 0-3, 7-10, 14-17, and 21-24; oral mercaptopurine on days 0-27; and oral prednisone over 10 days. * Interim maintenance (8 weeks): Patients receive methotrexate IT on days 0 and 28; oral mercaptopurine on days 0-41; and oral methotrexate on days 7, 14, 21, and 35. * Delayed intensification (7 weeks): Patients receive vincristine IV and doxorubicin IV over 15 minutes to 2 hours on days 0, 7, and 14; asparaginase IM on day 3 and then 3 times a week for 6 doses; oral dexamethasone on days 0-30; cyclophosphamide IV over 1 hour on day 28; and cytarabine IV or SC on days 28-31 and 35-38. Patients also receive oral thioguanine on days 28-41 and methotrexate IT on days 28 and 35. * Maintenance (84 day course): Patients receive vincristine IV on days 0, 28, and 56; oral prednisone on days 0-4, 28-32, and 56-60; oral methotrexate on days 7, 14, 21, 28, 35, 42, 49, 56, 63, 70, and 77; oral mercaptopurine on days 0-83; and methotrexate IT on day 0. * Disseminated lymphoblastic lymphoma: * Arm I (closed to accrual as of 4/2006): Patients receive same induction, consolidation, and interim maintenance therapy schedule as localized lymphoblastic lymphoma patients. * Delayed intensification (7 weeks): Patients receive vincristine IV and doxorubicin IV over 15 minutes to 2 hours on days 0, 7, 14, and 21; asparaginase IM on day 3 and then 3 times a week for 6 doses; and oral dexamethasone on days 0-28. Patients also receive cyclophosphamide IV over 1 hour on day 35; cytarabine IV or SC on days 35-38 and 42-45; oral thioguanine on days 35-48; and methotrexate IT on days 35 and 42. * Maintenance (84 day course): Patients receive same therapy as localized lymphoblastic lymphoma patients, except methotrexate IT is administered on day 0 and 28 (for first 4 courses). * Arm II (closed to accrual as of 4/2006): Patients receive consolidation, interim maintenance, and maintenance therapy as in arm I. * Induction (5 weeks): Patients receive vincristine IV on days 0, 7, 14, and 21; daunorubicin IV over 48 hours on days 0-2; oral prednisone on days 0-27; and asparaginase IM on days 3, 5, and 7 and then 3 times a week for 9 doses (during days 8-21). Patients also receive methotrexate IT on days 7 and 28; cyclophosphamide IV over 1 hour on day 2; and cytarabine IT on day 0. * Delayed intensification (7 weeks): Patients receive vincristine IV on days 0, 7, 14, 21; daunorubicin IV over 48 hours on days 0-2; asparaginase IM on day 3 and then 3 times a week for 6 doses; and oral dexamethasone on days 0-28. Patients also receive cyclophosphamide IV over 1 hour on days 2 and 35; cytarabine IV or SC on days 35-38 and 42-45; oral thioguanine on days 35-48; and methotrexate IT on days 35 and 42. * Arm III: * Induction (5 weeks): Patients receive vincristine IV and daunorubicin IV over 1 hour on days 0, 7, 14, and 21 and oral prednisone on days 0-37. Patients also receive asparaginase IM on day 11 and then 3 times a week for 9 doses; methotrexate IT on days 7 and 28; and cytarabine IT on day 0. * Consolidation (5 weeks): Patients receive methotrexate IT and cyclophosphamide IV over 1 hour on days 0 and 14; cytarabine IV or SC on days 0-3, 7-10, 14-17, and 21-24; oral mercaptopurine on days 0-27; and oral prednisone over 10 days. * Interim maintenance (9 weeks): Patients receive methotrexate IT and IV on days 7, 21, 35, and 49; oral mercaptopurine on days 0-55; and leucovorin calcium IV at 42, 48, and 54 hours after methotrexate IV. * Delayed intensification (10 weeks): Patients receive vincristine IV and doxorubicin IV over 1 hour on days 0, 7, 14, and 21; asparaginase IM on day 3 and then 3 times a week for 6 doses; and oral dexamethasone on days 0-29. Patients also receive cyclophosphamide IV over 1 hour on day 35; cytarabine IV on days 35-38 and 42-45; oral thioguanine on days 35-48; and methotrexate IT on days 35 and 42. * Maintenance (84 day courses): Patients receive vincristine IV on days 0, 28, and 56; oral prednisone on days 0-4, 28-32, and 56-60; oral methotrexate on days 7, 14, 21, 28, 35, 42, 49, 56, 63, 70, and 77; and oral mercaptopurine on days 0-83. * Arm IV (closed to accrual as of 4/2006): Patients receive consolidation and interim maintenance therapy as in arm III. * Induction: Patients receive vincristine IV on days 0, 7, 14, and 21; daunorubicin IV over 48 hours on days 0-2; oral prednisone on days 0-37; asparaginase IM on day 11 and then 3 times a week for 9 doses; methotrexate IT on days 7, 14, 21, and 28; cyclophosphamide IV on day 2; and cytarabine IT on day 0. * Delayed intensification (10 weeks): Patients receive vincristine IV on days 7, 14, 21, and 28; daunorubicin IV over 48 hours on days 0-2; asparaginase IM on day 3 and then 3 times a week for 6 doses; and oral dexamethasone on days 0-29. Patients also receive cyclophosphamide IV over 1 hour on days 2 and 35; cytarabine IV on days 35-38 and 42-45; oral thioguanine on days 35-48; and methotrexate IT on days 35 and 42. * Maintenance (84 day courses): Patients receive therapy as in arm III. Patients who are over 1 year of age and have CNS disease at diagnosis undergo cranial radiotherapy once daily 5 days a week beginning on day 0. Patients over 2 years of age undergo radiotherapy over 11-14 days (6-9 days for 1-2 years of age). Patients are followed monthly for one year, every 3 months for 1 year, every 6 months for 1.5 years, and then annually thereafter. PROJECTED ACCRUAL: Approximately 250-400 patients will be accrued for this study within 5 years.