Iodine I 131 Tositumomab Followed by Autologous Stem Cell Transplantation in Treating Older Patients With Relapsed or Refractory Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma

DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:

• Histologically confirmed non-Hodgkin's lymphoma
• CD20+ disease
• Failed at least 1 prior standard systemic therapy
• Persistent lymphoma by physical examination, radiographic studies, bone marrow evaluations, flow cytometry, or polymerase chain reaction

• Tumor burden less than 500 cc by computed tomography or MRI

  • No splenomegaly

• Autologous hematopoietic stem cells or bone marrow harvested and cryopreserved

  • No circulating lymphoma cells by morphology or flow cytometry at or near the time of peripheral blood stem cell (PBSC) collection if unpurged PBSCs are to be used
  • 10% or less marrow involvement by flow cytometry or morphology if purged bone marrow is to be used
• No CNS lymphoma
• No chronic lymphocytic leukemia or small lymphocytic lymphoma/well-differentiated lymphocytic lymphoma

PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:

Age

• 60 to 80

Performance status

• SWOG 0-1

Life expectancy

• More than 60 days

Hematopoietic

• See Disease Characteristics

Hepatic

• Bilirubin less than 1.5 mg/dL

Renal

• Creatinine less than 2.0 mg/dL

Cardiovascular

• No active coronary artery disease

Pulmonary

• FEV_1 at least 70% of expected
• Vital capacity at least 70% of expected

Other

• Not pregnant
• Negative pregnancy test
• Fertile patients must use effective contraception
• HIV negative
• Able to perform self-care during radiation isolation
• No major organ dysfunction
• No major infection
• No circulating anti-mouse antibody
• No other serious medical condition considered to represent contraindications to bone marrow transplantation
• No competing causes of death that would predict life span to be less than 10 additional years

PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:

Biologic therapy

• No prior bone marrow or stem cell transplantation

Chemotherapy

• Not specified

Endocrine therapy

• Not specified

Radiotherapy

• No prior radiotherapy greater than 20 Gy to any critical normal organ (e.g., lung, liver, spinal cord, or more than 25% of red marrow)

Surgery

• Not specified

Other

• More than 30 days since prior systemic antilymphoma therapy