Biological Therapy Plus Monoclonal Antibody Therapy in Treating Patients With Relapsed or Refractory Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma

Inclusion Criteria

• •DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:
• •Histologically confirmed CD20+ B-cell non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL)
• •* CD20 positive by immunohistochemistry or flow cytometry
• •Relapsed or refractory disease
• •Bidimensionally measurable disease
• •* Sole site of measurable disease within a previously irradiated field allowed provided there was disease progression at that site
• •No pre-existing ascites or pleural effusions
• •No known CNS involvement by NHL
• •PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:
• •Age:
• •18 and over
• •Performance status:
• •ECOG 0-2
• •Life expectancy:
• •More than 3 months
• •Hematopoietic:
• •Neutrophil count at least 1,000/mm3
• •Platelet count at least 50,000/mm3
• •Hepatic:
• •Bilirubin less than 2 mg/dL
• •Transaminase less than 2 times upper limit of normal
• •No hepatitis B or C
• •Renal:
• •Creatinine less than 2 mg/dL
• •Cardiovascular:
• •No significant cardiovascular disease
• •No New York Heart Association class III congestive heart failure
• •No myocardial infarction within the past 6 months
• •No unstable angina
• •No uncontrolled atrial or ventricular cardiac arrhythmias
• •Pulmonary:
• •No concurrent significant pulmonary disease
• •Other:
• •HIV negative
• •No acute infection requiring antibiotics
• •No fever over 38.2 degrees C within the past 3 days
• •No other malignancy within the past 5 years except basal cell or noninvasive squamous cell skin cancer or carcinoma in situ of the cervix
• •No pre-existing autoimmune disease or antibody-mediated disease, including:
• •* Systemic lupus erythematosus
• •* Rheumatoid arthritis
• •* Multiple sclerosis
• •* Sjogren's syndrome
• •* Autoimmune thrombocytopenia
• •Controlled thyroid disease allowed
• •Concurrent autoantibodies without clinical autoimmune disease allowed
• •No history of allergic reactions attributed to compounds of similar composition to study drugs
• •No other medical history, including laboratory results, that would preclude study
• •No suspected or confirmed poor compliance or mental instability that would preclude study
• •Not pregnant or nursing
• •Negative pregnancy test
• •Fertile patients must use effective contraception
• •PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:
• •Biologic therapy:
• •No prior allogeneic transplantation
• •More than 30 days since prior hematopoietic growth factors (e.g., filgrastim (G-CSF) or epoetin alfa)
• •More than 30 days since prior immunotherapy
• •More than 90 days since prior monoclonal antibodies as monotherapy for patients who were unresponsive to treatment (30 days for patients who responded to treatment and subsequently relapsed)
• •No other concurrent biological agents
• •No concurrent hematopoietic growth factors (e.g., G-CSF or epoetin alfa)
• •Chemotherapy:
• •More than 30 days since prior chemotherapy
• •No concurrent chemotherapy
• •Endocrine therapy:
• •More than 30 days since prior systemic corticosteroids
• •No concurrent systemic corticosteroids
• •Radiotherapy:
• •See Disease Characteristics
• •More than 30 days since prior radiotherapy
• •No concurrent radiotherapy
• •Surgery:
• •Not specified
• •Other:
• •Recovered from prior therapy
• •At least 6 months since prior coronary angioplasty
• •More than 30 days since prior immunosuppressants
• •More than 30 days since prior participation in an investigational drug study
• •No concurrent immunosuppressants
• •No concurrent anticoagulants except aspirin at doses no greater than 325 mg/day
• •No other concurrent anticancer therapy
• •No other concurrent investigational agents