A Randomized Study of EPOCH II Versus EPOCH II and Immunotherapy in Lymphomas

Patients must be between 18 and 70 years old. All stages of patients with low-, intermediate- or high-grade non-Hodgkin's lymphomas, or Hodgkin's disease who have disease following standard chemotherapy. Stage II-IV patients with previously untreated low-grade lymphoma or untreated low-grade with progression. Patients must have received less than or equal to 2 prior combination chemotherapy regimens, no combination chemotherapy refractory disease, no high-dose chemotherapy with stem cell rescue, and may not have CNS involvement by lymphoma. Pathology slides must be reviewed and a diagnosis of lymphoma confirmed by the Hematopathology Section, Laboratory of Pathology, NCI. No patients with a history of coronary artery disease with angina pectoris and/or an ejection fraction less than 42 percent. Serum creatinine clearance greater than 50 cc/min, bilirubin less than 2.5 u and AST/ALT less than 2x normal, absolute neutrophil count greater than 1000/mm(3) and platelet count greater than or equal to 100,000/mm(3) unless due to respective organ involvement by tumor. Patients must have an ECOG performance status less than or equal to 2. Patients must be HIV negative. Pregnant women will be excluded. Patients must be able to give informed consent. Patients who, in the opinion of the principal investigator, are poor psychiatric or medical risks because of non-malignant systemic disease will be excluded. A completed eligibility form.