OBJECTIVES:

• Determine the response rate of patients with poor-prognosis, HIV-related non-Hodgkin's lymphoma treated with rituximab combined with prednisolone, vincristine, and bleomycin.
• Determine the toxicity of this regimen in these patients.
• Determine the time to progression and survival of patients treated with this regimen.

OUTLINE: This is a multicenter study.

Patients receive chemotherapy comprising vincristine IV and bleomycin IV on day 1 and oral prednisolone every other day beginning on day 1. Treatment repeats every 3 weeks for 6 courses. Patients also receive rituximab on days 14, 21, 28, and 35. Patients who achieve complete response (CR) receive 2 additional courses of chemotherapy after CR.

Patients are followed every 1-2 months.

PROJECTED ACCRUAL: A total of 10-20 patients will be accrued for this study.

DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:

• Diagnosis of poor-prognosis, HIV-related non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (HIV-NHL)

  • Previously untreated

• More than 1 of the following criteria:

  • Prior diagnosis of AIDS
  • ECOG performance status 3-4
  • CD4 count less than 100/mm3
• No primary cerebral lymphoma

PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:

Age:

• 18 and over

Performance status:

• See Disease Characteristics

Life expectancy:

• Not specified

Hematopoietic:

• Not specified

Hepatic:

• Not specified

Renal:

• Not specified

PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:

Biologic therapy:

• Not specified

Chemotherapy:

• No prior chemotherapy for HIV-NHL
• At least 1 year since prior chemotherapy for Kaposi's sarcoma (KS)

Endocrine therapy:

• Not specified

Radiotherapy:

• Prior radiotherapy for HIV-NHL allowed
• At least 1 year since prior radiotherapy for KS

Surgery:

• Not specified