FCR or BR in Patients With Previously Untreated B-Cell Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia

DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS: * Confirmed diagnosis of B-cell chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) meeting 1 of the following criteria: * Binet stage C disease or stage B or A disease requiring treatment * Binet stage B or A disease meeting ≥ 1 of the following: * B-symptoms (e.g., night sweats, weight loss ≥ 10% within the past 6 months, fevers \> 38°C or 100.4°F for ≥ 2 weeks without evidence of infection) or constitutional symptoms (e.g., fatigue) * Progressive lymphocytosis, defined as peripheral lymphocyte count \> 5 x 10\^9/L (i.e., \> 50% increase over a 2-month period or doubling of peripheral blood lymphocyte count \< 6 months) * Evidence of progressive marrow failure as manifested by the development/worsening of anemia and/or thrombocytopenia * Massive, progressive, or painful splenomegaly or hypersplenism * Massive lymph nodes or lymph node clusters (\> 10 cm in longest diameter) or progressive or symptomatic lymphadenopathy * No 17p deletion by FISH * No aggressive B-cell cancer, such as Richter syndrome PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS: * WHO performance status 0-2 * Life expectancy ≥ 6 months * Total bilirubin ≤ 2 times upper limit of normal (ULN) (unless directly attributable to CLL) * AST and ALT ≤ 2 times ULN (unless directly attributable to CLL) * Creatinine clearance ≥ 70 mL/min (creatinine clearance is to be calculated only in patients with serum creatinine ≥ 1.1 mg/dL) * Not pregnant or nursing * Negative pregnancy test * Fertile patients must use effective contraception during and for ≥ 6 months after completion of study therapy * Hepatitis B and C negative * HIV negative * CIRS score \> 6 or a single score of 4 for one organ category * No active secondary malignancy requiring treatment, except basal cell carcinoma or malignant tumor curatively treated by surgery, or successfully treated secondary malignancies in complete remission \> 5 years prior to enrollment * No history of anaphylaxis following exposure to monoclonal antibodies * No active bacterial, viral, or fungal infection * No medical condition requiring prolonged use of oral corticosteroids (i.e., \> 1 month) * No cerebral dysfunction or legal incapacity * No circumstance that would preclude completion of the study or the required follow-up PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY: * No prior CLL specific-chemotherapy, radiotherapy, and/or immunotherapy * Prednisolone administered immediately prior to initiation of study therapy allowed for very high lymphocyte counts * No concurrent participation in another clinical trial