Study of Biomarkers Using Tissue Samples From Older Patients With Diffuse Large B-Cell Lymphoma Treated With Combination Chemotherapy With or Without Rituximab on Clinical Trial ECOG-E4494

OBJECTIVES: * To construct tissue microarrays (TMA) using tissue samples from older patients with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma treated with standard CHOP chemotherapy (cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, vincristine, and prednisone) with or without rituximab on clinical trial ECOG-E4494. * To allow this TMA resource to be included in a large international effort (the Lunenburg Lymphoma Biomarker Consortium \[LLBC\]), partnering with several other similar randomized trials (EORTC, HOVON, GELA, MINT) in order to properly power and bring standardization to the study of biomarkers in lymphoma. * To evaluate the clinical impact and prognostic importance of a number of biomarkers, including Bcl-2, Bcl-6, CD10, FOXP1, MUM1, Ki-67, CD5, and HLA-Dr. * To determine the prognostic impact of clinical International Prognostic Index (IPI) variables in a large international study. * To determine the relationship between different biomarkers and clinical predictors. * To establish the TMA (using tissue samples from patients treated on clinical trial ECOG-E4494) as a resource for future ECOG-driven studies and for validation of novel biomarkers as they become recognized and available. OUTLINE: Patients are stratified according to prior treatment (CHOP chemotherapy \[cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, vincristine, and prednisone\] or CHOP-like chemotherapy vs CHOP chemotherapy with or without rituximab). Tissue microarrays will be constructed using tissue samples previously collected from patients treated on clinical trial ECOG-E4494. Tissue microarrays will be used for biomarker studies.