S9901 Combination Chemotherapy With or Without Peripheral Stem Cell Transplantation in Treating Men With Stage III or Stage IV Hodgkin's Disease

You may be eligible if

• DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:
• Histologically confirmed stage III or IV Hodgkin's disease with at least 3 of the following characteristics:
• * Albumin less than 4.0 mg/dL
• * Hemoglobin less than 10.5 g/dL
• * Leukocytosis at least 15,000/mm\^3
• * Lymphocytopenia less than 600/mm\^3 or less than 8% of total WBC
• * Male sex
• * At least 45 years of age
• * Stage IV disease
• Bidimensionally measurable disease
• Bilateral or unilateral bone marrow aspiration and biopsy performed within 42 days of study
• Negative chest x-ray within 42 days of study OR
• Chest x-ray performed within 28 days of study
• Negative CT scan of thorax, abdomen, and pelvis within 42 days of study OR
• CT scan of thorax, abdomen, and pelvis performed within 28 days of study
• No history of lymphoma, myelodyplastic syndrome, or leukemia
• No CNS involvement by Hodgkin's disease
• PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:
• Age:
• 15 to 65
• Performance status:
• Zubrod 0-1
• Life expectancy:
• Not specified
• Hematopoietic:
• See Disease Characteristics
• Hepatic:
• See Disease Characteristics
• Bilirubin no greater than 1.5 times upper limit of normal (ULN) (unless elevation due to liver infiltration by Hodgkin's disease)
• Lymphoma-related hepatic dysfunction allowed
• Renal:
• Creatinine no greater than 2.0 times ULN
• Creatinine clearance at least 60 mL/min
• Lymphoma-related renal dysfunction allowed
• Cardiovascular:
• No coronary artery disease, cardiomyopathy, congestive heart failure, or arrhythmias requiring therapy
• Ejection fraction normal
• No significant EKG abnormalities suggesting active cardiac disease
• Pulmonary:
• Corrected DLCO at least 60% OR
• FEV1 at least 60% predicted
• Other:
• Not pregnant or nursing
• Fertile patients must use effective contraception
• No HIV or AIDS
• No other prior malignancy within past 5 years except adequately treated basal cell or squamous cell skin cancer
• No active bacterial, fungal, or viral infection\*
• Afebrile for 3 consecutive days\* NOTE: \*Prior to randomization portion of study
• PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:
• Biologic therapy:
• Not specified
• Chemotherapy:
• No prior chemotherapy for Hodgkin's disease except single course of ABVD (doxorubicin, bleomycin, vinblastine, and dacarbazine) within 35 days of study
• Endocrine therapy:
• Not specified
• Radiotherapy:
• No prior radiotherapy for Hodgkin's disease
• Surgery:
• Not specified
• Other:
• At least 3 days since prior antibiotics, antifungals, or antivirals (except for prophylactic therapy or fever associated with underlying lymphoma) (for randomization portion of study)