Inclusion Criteria

DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:

- Diagnosis of 1 of the following indolent, B-cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma:

- Grade 1, 2, or 3a follicular lymphoma

- Small lymphocytic lymphoma

- Marginal zone lymphoma

- Previously untreated, relapsed, or recurrent disease

- No limit to prior treatments

- CD20-positive disease

- Measurable tumor size, defined as at least 1 node measuring 4 cm² bidimensionally

- No premalignant myeloid condition

- No malignancy with myeloid characteristics (e. g., myelodysplastic syndrome, acute or
chronic myelogenous leukemia)

- No CNS lymphoma

PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:

- ECOG performance status 0-1

- Expected survival > 6 months

- ANC > 1,000/mm³

- Platelet count > 50,000/mm³

- Hemoglobin ≥ 8 g/dL (erythropoietin growth factor allowed)

- Creatinine ≤ 1.5 times upper limit of normal (ULN)

- Total bilirubin ≤ 1.5 mg/dL

- AST < 5 times ULN

- Alkaline phosphatase < 5 times ULN

- HIV-negative

- No serious nonmalignant disease (e.g., active uncontrolled bacterial, viral, or
fungal infections) or other conditions that would compromise protocol objectives

- No other malignancy within the past 5 years except squamous cell or basal cell skin
cancer or carcinoma in situ of the cervix

- No history of cardiac disease, defined as NYHA class II-IV cardiac disease

- No clinical evidence of congestive heart failure

- Not pregnant or nursing

- Fertile patients must use effective contraception

- No know hypersensitivity to any recombinant E. coli-derived product, murine proteins,
or any components of the study medication

PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:

- Fully recovered from prior surgery, radiotherapy, chemotherapy, or immunotherapy

- Prior rituximab or other monoclonal immunotherapy allowed

- No chemotherapy within 4 weeks of the first scheduled study treatment

- No major surgery, other than diagnostic surgery, within the past 4 weeks

- More than 30 days since prior participation in another investigational device or drug
trial

- No other concurrent investigational agents