Monoclonal Antibody Therapy and Combination Chemotherapy in Treating Patients With Stage II, Stage III, or Stage IV Diffuse Large B-Cell Lymphoma

RATIONALE: Monoclonal antibodies, such as epratuzumab and rituximab, can block cancer growth in different ways. Some block the ability of cancer cells to grow and spread. Others find cancer cells and help kill them or carry cancer-killing substances to them. Drugs used in chemotherapy, such as cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, vincristine, and prednisone, work in different ways to stop the growth of cancer cells, either by killing the cells or by stopping them from dividing. Giving monoclonal antibody therapy together with chemotherapy may kill more cancer cells.\> PURPOSE: This phase II trial is studying how well giving monoclonal antibody therapy together with combination chemotherapy works in treating patients with stage II, stage III, or stage IV diffuse large B-cell lymphoma.

OBJECTIVES:\> Primary\> * Assess the efficacy of epratuzumab and rituximab in combination with cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin hydrochloride, vincristine, and prednisone (CHOP), as measured by 12-month, event-free survival, in patients with previously untreated stage II, III, or IV diffuse large B-cell lymphoma.\> * Assess the use of positron emission tomography (PET) scan routinely early in treatment and after completion of treatment.\> * Assess the functional response rate (complete response, partial response, or stable disease by CT scan and PET negative) in patients treated with this regimen.\> * Assess the safety of this treatment regimen.\> Secondary\> * Correlate laboratory prognostic factors for large cell lymphoma with clinical response to this regimen.\> OUTLINE: This is a multicenter study.\> Patients receive epratuzumab IV over 1 hour on day 1, rituximab IV over 4-8 hours on day 1 or days 1 and 2, cyclophosphamide IV, doxorubicin hydrochloride IV, and vincristine IV on day 1 or 2, and oral prednisone on days 1-5 or 2-6. Treatment repeats every 21 days for up to 6 courses in the absence of disease progression or unacceptable toxicity.\> After completion of study treatment, patients are followed periodically for up to 5 years.\> PROJECTED ACCRUAL: A total of 86 patients will be accrued for this study.\>