Oblimersen, Rituximab and Combination Chemotherapy in Treating Patients With Relapsed or Refractory Aggressive Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma

You may be eligible if

• Histologically confirmed aggressive B-cell non-Hodgkin's lymphoma
• * Any 1 one of the following histological subtypes for phase I:
• * Grade 3 follicular center lymphoma
• * Diffuse large B-cell lymphoma
• * Transformed follicular lymphoma
• * Mantle cell lymphoma
• * Primary mediastinal B-cell lymphoma
• * Any 1 of the following histological subtypes for phase II:
• * Diffuse large B-cell lymphoma
• * Transformed follicular lymphoma
• * Primary mediastinal B-cell lymphoma
• Measurable disease
• * At least 1 bidimensionally measurable lesion ≥ 10 mm in longest diameter by CT scan, MRI, x-ray, or clinical exam
• Relapsed disease after 1, and only 1, prior anthracycline-based chemotherapy regimen
• No known brain metastases
• Performance status - ECOG 0-2
• Performance status - Karnofsky 60-100%
• More than 3 months
• Absolute neutrophil count ≥ 1,000/mm\^3\*
• Platelet count ≥ 100,000/mm\^3\*
• Bilirubin normal\*\*
• AST and ALT ≤ 2.5 times upper limit of normal
• PT and PTT normal
• Creatinine normal
• Creatinine clearance ≥ 60 mL/min
• No symptomatic congestive heart failure
• No unstable angina pectoris
• No cardiac arrhythmia
• Not pregnant or nursing
• Negative pregnancy test
• Fertile patients must use effective contraception
• No history of allergic reactions attributed to compounds of similar chemical or biological composition to oblimersen or other study drugs
• No currently active second malignancy except nonmelanoma skin cancer or carcinoma in situ of the cervix
• * Must have completed any prior therapy for a second malignancy and is considered to be at \< 30% risk of relapse
• No ongoing or active infection
• No psychiatric illness or social situation that would preclude study compliance
• No other concurrent uncontrolled illness
• Prior rituximab allowed
• No other concurrent immunotherapy
• See Disease Characteristics
• At least 4 weeks since prior cytotoxic chemotherapy (6 weeks for nitrosoureas or mitomycin) and recovered
• No other concurrent chemotherapy
• No concurrent hormonal therapy
• At least 4 weeks since prior radiotherapy and recovered
• No concurrent therapeutic radiotherapy
• At least 4 weeks since prior surgery
• No prior oblimersen or other antisense oligonucleotide therapy
• No other concurrent anticancer agents or therapies
• No concurrent combination antiretroviral therapy for HIV-positive patients
• No other concurrent investigational agents