Inclusion Criteria:

- Non Hodgkin Lymphoma stage III or IV at timepoint of diagnosis

- Patients who have achieved a remission after first line chemotherapy

- No less than 6 weeks and no more than 12 weeks since last dose of chemotherapy

- older than 18 years

- written informed consent

Exclusion Criteria:

- Any other anticancer treatment for NHL except the preceding first line chemotherapy

- Prior radiation therapy

- Patients who have not recovered from the toxic effects of the first line chemotherapy

- Any other cancer or history of cancer less than 10 years ago

- Patients with known HIV positivity

- patients with pleural effusion or ascites

- female patients who are pregnant or breast feeding (women of childbearing potential
must have a negative serum pregnancy test at study entry)

- Adults not employing an effective method of birth control during study treatment and
12 months thereafter

- Patients unable or unwilling to comply with protocol