Inclusion Criteria

DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:

- Diagnosis of Waldenström macroglobulinemia, splenic lymphoma with villous lymphocytes
(SLVL), or non-IgM lymphoplasmacytic lymphoma based on morphological and
immunophenotypic criteria

- Bone marrow should be assessed by two-color flow cytometry for the expression of
the following antigens:

- Surface Ig

- CD19

- CD20

- CD5

- CD10

- CD23

- Previously untreated disease requiring therapeutic intervention (as judged by the
primary physician), as indicated by ≥ 1 of the following:

- Hemoglobin < 10 g/dL

- ANC < 1.5 x 10^9/L

- Platelet count < 150 x 10^9/L

- Clinical evidence of hyperviscosity in terms of neurological or ocular
disturbance

- Patients with disease detected by clonal cells alone are not eligible

PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:

- Performance status 0-2

- Life expectancy > 6 months

- Serum creatinine < 200 mmol/L

- AST and ALT < 2 times upper limit of normal

- Negative direct Coomb's test

- Not pregnant or nursing

- Negative pregnancy test

- Fertile patients must use effective contraception during and for ≥ 6 months after
completion of study therapy

- No severe or life-threatening cardiac, pulmonary, neurological, psychiatric, or
metabolic disease

- No other concurrent malignancy

- No AIDS or AIDS-related complex

- No evidence of active hepatitis C infection

PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:

- Prior plasmapheresis for control of clinically significant hyperviscosity allowed

- Prior splenectomy for SLVL allowed