Pixantrone, Cytarabine, Methylprednisolone, and Cisplatin in Treating Patients With Aggressive Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma in First Relapse

You may be eligible if

• DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:
• Histologically confirmed aggressive non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL)
• * Any stage, with or without B symptoms
• * The following subtypes are eligible:
• * Diffuse large cell (B and T cell types)
• * Anaplastic large cell
• * Diffuse mixed cell
• * Immunoblastic large cell
• * Follicular large cell
• * Transformed follicular NHL
• * Diffuse aggressive not otherwise classified
• * Burkitt-like lymphoma
• Bone marrow positive or negative
• At least 1 measurable lesion
• * Patients with bone marrow as the only site of disease are eligible without a measurable lesion
• No more than 1 episode of progressive disease, occurring after a response (complete response \[CR\], complete response unconfirmed \[CR\_u\], or partial response \[PR\]) to prior chemotherapy\* NOTE: \*Patients with less than a CR, CRu, or PR and no progression, but who are good candidates for high-dose chemotherapy with stem cell support may be eligible (will be decided on an individual basis)
• No chemotherapy-refractory disease, defined as follows:
• * Stable or progressive disease documented at restaging immediately after the completion of induction therapy
• No lymphoblastic lymphoma, or mantle cell lymphoma
• PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:
• Age
• 18 and over
• Performance status
• WHO 0-1
• Life expectancy
• At least 3 months
• Hematopoietic
• Neutrophil count at least 1,500/mm\^3\*
• Platelet count at least 100,000/mm\^3\* NOTE: \*Lower values may be accepted if clearly due to bone marrow involvement by lymphoma
• Hepatic
• Bilirubin no greater than 1.5 times upper limit of normal (ULN)\*
• AST or ALT no greater than 2.0 times ULN\*
• Alkaline phosphatase no greater than 2.0 times ULN\*
• No history or clinical symptoms of hepatitis B or hepatitis C virus
• * Patients with seropositivity due to prior vaccination for hepatitis B are eligible NOTE: \*Higher values may be accepted if clearly due to liver involvement by lymphoma
• Renal
• Creatinine no greater than 1.5 mg/dL
• Cardiovascular
• LVEF at least 50% by MUGA
• No clinically significant cardiovascular abnormalities
• No New York Heart Association grade II-IV cardiovascular disease
• No myocardial infarction within the past 6 months
• No severe cardiac arrhythmia
• No uncontrolled hypertension
• Other
• Not pregnant or nursing
• Negative pregnancy test
• Fertile patients must use effective contraception during and for 6 months after study participation
• HIV negative
• No clinically significant neurological abnormalities
• No condition that would preclude study safety or interfere with study results
• No concurrent serious uncontrolled infection
• PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:
• Biologic therapy
• Prior rituximab immediately after the first chemotherapy regimen allowed
• Chemotherapy
• See Disease Characteristics
• See Biologic therapy
• At least 6 months since prior anthracycline therapy (e.g., cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, vincristine, and prednisone \[CHOP\])
• More than 2 years since prior fludarabine
• More than 2 years since prior nitrosoureas
• More than 1 year since prior platinum-based chemotherapy or cytarabine, unless a CR or CR\_u was achieved
• No prior cumulative dose of cisplatin greater than 600 mg/m\^2
• No prior single or cumulative dose of doxorubicin greater than 450 mg/m\^2
• Endocrine therapy
• Not specified
• Radiotherapy
• No prior radiotherapy to the whole pelvis
• No prior radioimmunotherapy
• Surgery
• More than 4 weeks since prior major thoracic and/or abdominal surgery
• At least 1 week since prior minor surgery
• Other
• Recovered from prior therapy
• * Alopecia allowed
• * Grade 1 peripheral neuropathy allowed
• More than 30 days since prior participation in another investigational drug study
• No other concurrent investigational drugs