Bendamustine Hydrochloride, Rituximab, Etoposide, and Carboplatin in Treating Patients With Relapsed or Refractory Diffuse Large B-cell Lymphoma or Hodgkin Lymphoma

PRIMARY OBJECTIVES: I. To estimate the maximally tolerated dose of bendamustine (bendamustine hydrochloride) that can be combined with rituximab, carboplatin, and etoposide chemotherapy in patients with relapsed or refractory lymphoid malignancies. II. To determine the safety and toxicity of the above regimen. SECONDARY OBJECTIVES: I. To gain a preliminary assessment of the efficacy of the above regimen. II. To determine the ability to proceed to peripheral blood stem cell collection following the above regimen (the impact of above regimen on stem cell reserve). III. To investigate whether findings from laboratory, radiographic or pathologic studies have any prognostic impact on the response to treatment. OUTLINE: This is a phase I, dose-escalation study of bendamustine hydrochloride followed by a phase II study. Patients receive bendamustine hydrochloride intravenously (IV) over 30-60 minutes on days 1 and 2, etoposide IV over 60 minutes on days 1-3, and carboplatin IV over 60 minutes on day 1. Patients with cluster of differentiation (CD)20+ T-cell lymphoma disease also receive rituximab IV on day 2 or 3. Treatment repeats every 21 days for 2 courses in the absence of disease progression or unacceptable toxicity. After completion of study treatment, patients are followed up every 3 months for 1 year and then every 6 months for 4 years.