Peripheral Stem Cell Transplantation to Prevent Neutropenia in Patients Receiving Chemotherapy for Relapsed or Refractory Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma

DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:

Histologically proven relapsed or refractory non-Hodgkin's lymphoma
Scheduled to undergo high-dose chemotherapy (carmustine, etoposide, cytarabine, and melphalan) with autologous peripheral blood mononuclear cell transplantation
No metastatic disease involving the bone marrow

PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:

Age:

17 to 65

Performance status:

ECOG 0 or 1

Life expectancy:

Not specified

Hematopoietic:

Absolute neutrophil count greater than 1,500/mm^3
Platelet count greater than 100,000/mm^3

Hepatic:

No active hepatitis B or C
Bilirubin less than 2.5 times normal*
SGOT or SGPT less than 2.5 times normal*
Alkaline phosphatase less than 2.5 times normal NOTE: * Unless Gilbert's syndrome present

Renal:

Creatinine clearance greater than 50 mL/min

Cardiovascular:

Cardiac ejection fraction normal

Pulmonary:

DLCO at least 50% predicted
FEV_1 and FVC at least 75% predicted

Other:

HIV negative
Not pregnant
Negative pregnancy test
No non-neoplastic disease that would preclude intensive chemotherapy

PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:

Biologic therapy:

See Disease Characteristics

Chemotherapy:

See Disease Characteristics

Endocrine therapy:

Not specified

Radiotherapy:

No prior external beam radiotherapy to more than 25% of the active bone marrow

Surgery:

Not specified