Inclusion Criteria

DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:

- Confirmed diagnosis of peripheral T-cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma

- Newly diagnosed, previously untreated disease

- Mycosis fungoides with systemic disease (i.e., beyond the skin) allowed

- No CD30-positive ALK 1-positive T-anaplastic large cell lymphoma

- No skin only involvement

- No localized NK/T-cell lymphoma

- No adult T-cell leukemia/lymphoma

- No known CNS involvement

PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:

- ECOG performance status 0-2

- Life expectancy > 3 months

- ANC > 1,000/mm^3 (unless due to lymphoma)

- Platelets > 100,000/mm^3 (unless due to lymphoma)

- Serum bilirubin ≤ 2.0 mg/dL (unless due to lymphoma)

- Serum creatinine ≤ 1.5 mg/dL (unless due to lymphoma)

- Albumin ≥ 3.0 g/dL

- Cardiac ejection fraction ≥ 50% by MUGA or echocardiogram

- Not pregnant or nursing

- Negative serum or urine β-HCG at screening

- Women and male partners of child-bearing potential must practice an effective method
of birth control (e.g., prescription oral contraceptives, contraceptive injections,
intrauterine device, double-barrier method, contraceptive patch) before study entry
and throughout the study period

- Willing to receive transfusions of blood products

- No HIV-positive serology

- No uncontrolled intercurrent illness including, but not limited to, any of the
following:

- Ongoing or active infection

- Symptomatic congestive heart failure

- Child's class C liver cirrhosis

- Unstable angina pectoris

- Cardiac arrhythmia

- Psychiatric illness or social situations that would limit study compliance

- No other prior or concurrent malignancy with a poor prognosis (i.e., < 90%
probability of survival at 5 years) or that is actively being treated

PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:

- No prior chemotherapy for the treatment of lymphoma

- No other concurrent investigational agents for the treatment of lymphoma