S0350 Combination Chemotherapy in Treating Patients With Newly Diagnosed Stage II, Stage III, or Stage IV Peripheral T-Cell Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma

DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS: * Diagnosis of peripheral T-cell non-Hodgkin's lymphoma * Newly diagnosed, relapsed or progressing disease after 1 prior treatment with a non-platinum based chemotherapy (e.g., CHOP) * Bulky stage II or stage III or IV disease * The following histologies are not eligible: * T-cell prolymphocytic leukemia * T-cell large granular lymphocytic leukemia * Any NK-cell leukemia * Adult T-cell leukemia/lymphoma * Mycosis fungoides/Sézary syndrome * Lymphomatoid papulosis * Nasal-type extranodal NK/T-cell lymphoma * Enteropathy-type T-cell lymphoma * Hepatosplenic T-cell lymphoma * Subcutaneous panniculitis-like T-cell lymphoma * Angioimmunoblastic T-cell lymphoma * Primary cutaneous anaplastic large cell lymphoma (ALCL) * ALCL with CD30, ALK, and EMA expression * ALCL morphology that fails to express ALK or EMA allowed provided T-cell lineage is confirmed by immunotyping or genetic testing * Bidimensionally measurable disease * Adequate samples (e.g., core biopsies, especially multiple core biopsies) from the original diagnostic specimen available * Needle aspiration or cytology is not considered adequate samples * No clinical evidence of Central nervous system (CNS) involvement by lymphoma PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS: Age * 18 and over Performance status * Zubrod 0-2 Life expectancy * Not specified Hematopoietic * Absolute neutrophil count ≥ 1,500/mm\^3 * Platelet count ≥ 100,000/mm\^3 Hepatic * Bilirubin ≤ 2 times upper limit of normal Renal * Creatinine clearance ≥ 30 mL/min Cardiovascular * No history of congestive heart failure * No history of myocardial infarction * No history of unstable angina * No history of asymptomatic arrhythmias * Ejection fraction normal by multigated acquisition (MUGA) scan (for patients with questionable cardiac history) * No other history of impaired cardiac status Other * Not pregnant or nursing * Negative pregnancy test * Fertile patients must use effective contraception * No known HIV positivity * Mild clinical hearing loss allowed provided patient is willing to accept the potential for worsening of hearing loss * No other malignancy within the past 5 years except adequately treated basal cell or squamous cell skin cancer or carcinoma in situ of the cervix * Must have had a chest x-ray or CT scan of the chest and a CT scan of the abdomen and pelvis within the past 28 days PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY: Biologic therapy * At least 3 weeks since prior biologic therapy * No concurrent routine use of bone marrow colony-stimulating factors Chemotherapy * No other concurrent chemotherapy Endocrine therapy * Not specified Radiotherapy * No prior radiotherapy for this cancer * No concurrent radiotherapy Surgery * Not specified Other * No prior cytotoxic therapy for this cancer * Concurrent enrollment in SWOG-8819 or SWOG-8947 allowed