Combination Chemotherapy in Treating Patients With Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia or Lymphocytic Lymphoma

DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS: * Histologically or cytologically confirmed chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) or B-cell small lymphocytic lymphoma (SLL) * CLL is defined as: * Persistent lymphocytosis greater than 5,000/mm\^3 * CD19/CD5/CD23 positive * Kappa or lambda light chain restriction * Refractory to or disease progression after 1 or 2 prior treatment regimens * Retreatment with oral chlorambucil is allowed and considered a second regimen * At least one of the chlorambucil treatments must be for 3 months or longer * At least 4 courses of cyclophosphamide, vincristine, and prednisone with or without doxorubicin allowed * Patients may have received prior fludarabine as first- or second-line therapy if there is evidence of at least partial response and time to progression after initial fludarabine therapy was at least 12 months * No CNS involvement by lymphoma PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS: Age * 18 and over Performance status * ECOG 0-2 OR * Karnofsky 60-100% Life expectancy * More than 3 months Hematopoietic * See Disease Characteristics * Absolute neutrophil count at least 1,000/mm\^3 * Platelet count at least 100,000/mm\^3 * No autoimmune hemolytic anemia or thrombocytopenia secondary to CLL or SLL requiring ongoing therapy with prednisone or other immunosuppressive agents Hepatic * Bilirubin normal * AST and ALT no greater than 2.5 times upper limit of normal Renal * Creatinine normal OR * Creatinine clearance at least 60 mL/min Cardiovascular * No symptomatic congestive heart failure * No unstable angina pectoris * No cardiac arrhythmia Pulmonary * DLCO greater than 60% predicted * FEV\_1 greater than 70% predicted * No significant underlying pulmonary disease Other * No other malignancy within the past 5 years except adequately treated basal cell skin cancer or carcinoma in situ of the cervix * No insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus * No other uncontrolled concurrent illness * No ongoing or active infection * No pre-existing peripheral neuropathy grade 2 or greater * No psychiatric illness or social situation that would preclude study compliance * No prior allergic reactions to compounds of similar chemical or biological composition to UCN-01 or other agents in this study * Not pregnant or nursing * Negative pregnancy test * Fertile patients must use effective contraception PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY: Biologic therapy * Not specified Chemotherapy * See Disease Characteristics * At least 4 weeks since prior chemotherapy and recovered Endocrine therapy * See Hematopoietic Radiotherapy * No prior mediastinal radiation * At least 4 weeks since prior radiotherapy and recovered Surgery * Not specified Other * No other concurrent investigational agents * No concurrent combination antiretroviral therapy for HIV-positive patients