Combination Chemotherapy in Treating Patients With Relapsed or Refractory Hodgkin's Lymphoma

OBJECTIVES: * Determine the maximum tolerated dose and toxicity of gemcitabine, vinorelbine, and doxorubicin HCl liposome in patients with relapsed or refractory Hodgkin's lymphoma. * Determine the complete and partial response rates of patients treated with this regimen. OUTLINE: This is a dose-escalation, multicenter study. Phase I: * Patients receive vinorelbine IV over 6-10 minutes, gemcitabine IV over 30 minutes, and doxorubicin HCl liposome IV over 30-60 minutes on days 1 and 8. Treatment continues every 21 days for 2-6 courses in the absence of unacceptable toxicity or disease progression. Patients who respond to treatment after 2 or more courses may stop protocol therapy to undergo peripheral blood stem cell transplantation. Cohorts of 3-6 patients receive escalating doses of vinorelbine, gemcitabine, and doxorubicin HCl liposome until the maximum tolerated dose (MTD) is determined. The MTD is defined as the dose preceding that at which 2 of 3 or 2 of 6 patients experience dose-limiting toxicity. Once the MTD is determined, additional patients are accrued to receive treatment with gemcitabine, vinorelbine, and doxorubicin HCl liposome at the recommended phase II dose. Phase II: * Patients are assigned to 1 of 2 treatment groups. * Group 1: Patients who have not undergone prior transplantation receive vinorelbine, gemcitabine, and doxorubicin HCl liposome as in phase I. * Group 2: Patients who have undergone prior transplantation receive lower doses of vinorelbine, gemcitabine, and doxorubicin HCl liposome as in group 1. Patients are followed every 6 months for 2 years and then annually for 6 years. PROJECTED ACCRUAL: Approximately 3-100 patients (3-42 for phase I and 20-58 for phase II \[29 per group\]) will be accrued for this study within 3 years.