Epratuzumab in Treating Patients With Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma

You may be eligible if

• DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:
• Histologically confirmed diffuse large B-cell non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL)
• * Relapsed or refractory after at least 1 regimen of standard therapy
• * Prior therapy may include high-dose chemotherapy with autologous stem cell transplantation (ASCT) or immunotherapy
• Bidimensionally measurable disease
• * At least 1 lesion at least 1.5 cm by CT scan
• No primary or secondary CNS lymphoma
• No HIV-related lymphoma
• No known or suspected transformed lymphoma (prior or concurrent)
• No bulky disease (i.e., any single mass greater than 10.0 cm)
• No pleural effusion with positive cytology for lymphoma
• Most recent pathology specimen available for collection
• No rapid disease progression or symptoms that indicate disease progression requiring rapid intervention within the past 2 weeks (e.g., severe shortness of breath, severe pain, or gastrointestinal or genitourinary obstruction)
• PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:
• Age
• 18 and over
• Performance status
• ECOG 0-2
• Life expectancy
• At least 4 months
• Hematopoietic
• Absolute neutrophil count at least 1,000/mm3
• Platelet count at least 50,000/mm3 (transfusion independent)
• Hemoglobin at least 9.0 g/dL
• Hepatic
• Bilirubin no greater than 2 times upper limit of normal (ULN)
• AST and ALT less than 5 times ULN
• Hepatitis B surface antigen negative
• Hepatitis C negative
• Renal
• Creatinine no greater than 2 times ULN
• Other
• HIV negative
• No other primary malignancy within the past 3 years except squamous cell or basal cell skin cancer, carcinoma in situ of the cervix, or stage I prostate cancer
• No other serious nonmalignant condition that would preclude study
• No serious infection
• No known human antichimeric antibodies or human antihuman antibody positivity
• No type 1 hypersensitivity or anaphylactic reactions to murine proteins
• Not pregnant or nursing
• Negative pregnancy test
• Fertile patients must use effective contraception during and for at least 6 months after study
• PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:
• Biologic therapy
• See Disease Characteristics
• At least 4 weeks since prior immunotherapy (unless clearly progressing)
• At least 12 weeks since prior ASCT
• Chemotherapy
• See Disease Characteristics
• At least 4 weeks since prior chemotherapy (unless clearly progressing)
• Endocrine therapy
• Not specified
• Radiotherapy
• No prior radioimmunotherapy
• Surgery
• At least 4 weeks since prior major surgery (unless patient has fully recovered)
• Other
• At least 30 days since prior enrollment in clinical trials involving investigational devices or drugs
• No concurrent enrollment in other clinical trials involving investigational devices or drugs
• No concurrent investigational agents for disease other than NHL