Monoclonal Antibody Therapy in Treating Patients With Advanced or Recurrent Lymphoma

DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:

• Histologically confirmed CD3+ T-cell lymphoma for which no standard curative therapy exists

  • Peripheral T-cell lymphoma

    • Recurrent and/or progressive disease after at least 1 prior therapy

  • Mycosis fungoides

    • Stage IB/IIA

      • Recurrent and/or progressive disease after at least 2 prior therapies

    • Stage IIB-IVB

      • Recurrent and/or progressive disease after at least 1 prior therapy

  • All other T-cell lymphomas

    • Recurrent and/or progressive disease after at least 1 prior therapy

• Evaluable disease

  • Any nodal site or mass lesion at least 1.5 cm in longest axis on physical exam or CT scan
  • Skin lesions at least 1 cm in longest axis for cutaneous lymphoma
• High numbers of circulating T-cells allowed

PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:

Age:

• 18 and over

Performance status:

• ECOG 0-2
• Karnofsky 50-100%

Life expectancy:

• Not specified

Hematopoietic:

• WBC at least 2,000/mm^3*
• Absolute neutrophil count at least 1,000/mm^3*
• Platelet count at least 75,000/mm^3* NOTE: * Unless due to lymphoma

Hepatic:

• Bilirubin no greater than 2.0 times normal*
• AST/ALT no greater than 2.5 times upper limit of normal*
• Hepatitis B and C negative NOTE: * Unless due to lymphoma

Renal:

• Not specified

Cardiovascular:

• No symptomatic congestive heart failure
• No unstable angina pectoris
• No cardiac arrhythmia

Other:

• No other uncontrolled illness
• No ongoing or active infection
• No other active malignancies except basal cell skin cancer or carcinoma in situ of the cervix
• HIV-1 negative
• Not pregnant or nursing
• Negative pregnancy test
• Fertile patients must use effective contraception

PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:

• See Disease Characteristics

Biologic therapy:

• At least 60 days since prior humanized or chimeric antibody therapy

Chemotherapy:

• At least 3 weeks since prior chemotherapy

Endocrine therapy:

• Not specified

Radiotherapy:

• At least 3 weeks since prior radiotherapy

Surgery:

• Not specified

Other:

• At least 30 days since prior investigational drugs or therapies