OBJECTIVES:
* Determine the safety, toxicity, and the reversibility of toxicity of arginine butyrate in patients with Epstein Barr virus-induced malignancies or lymphoproliferative disorders.
* Determine the clinical pharmacology of arginine butyrate when administered with ganciclovir, including plasma half life and major routes of elimination in these patients.
* Determine the biologic effects of arginine butyrate in terms of inducing sensitivity to ganciclovir in tissue samples from selected patients.
* Determine the antitumor activity of this treatment regimen in these patients.
OUTLINE: Patients receive ganciclovir IV over 1 hour twice a day on days -1 to 21 for the first course (days 0-21 for all subsequent courses) and escalating doses of arginine butyrate IV continuously on days 0-21. Treatment repeats every 28 days for up to 3 courses in the absence of disease progression or unacceptable toxicity.
Patients are followed for a minimum of 42 days.
PROJECTED ACCRUAL: Approximately 20 patients will be accrued for this study within 2 years.
