DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:

• Histologically confirmed mycosis fungoides

  • Stage Ib-IV
• At least 5% of total blood mononuclear cells must be CD8-positive lymphocytes
• No CNS disease

PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:

Age

• 18 and over

Performance status

• Karnofsky 70-100%

Life expectancy

• At least 6 months

Hematopoietic

• WBC ≥ 3,000/mm^3 but ≤ 40,000/mm^3
• Absolute neutrophil count ≥ 1,500/mm^3
• Platelet count ≥ 100,000/mm^3
• Hemoglobin ≥ 10 g/dL (transfusion or epoetin alfa allowed)

Hepatic

• Bilirubin ≤ 1.5 times upper limit of normal (ULN)
• AST and ALT ≤ 2 times ULN

Renal

• Creatinine ≤ 1.5 times ULN
• Creatinine clearance ≥ 60 mL/min

Cardiovascular

• EKG normal
• No known cardiac and peripheral vascular disease
• No cardiac arrhythmias requiring medical treatment

Pulmonary

• Chest x-ray normal

Immunologic

• No history of or clinically significant autoimmune disease (e.g., rheumatoid arthritis), autoimmune hemolytic anemia, or positive Coombs' test
• No HTLV-I or HTLV-II-associated disease
• HIV negative
• Antinuclear antibody negative
• Rheumatoid factor negative
• No serious concurrent infection requiring IV antibiotics

Gastrointestinal

• No clinically significant gastrointestinal bleeding
• No uncontrolled peptic ulcer disease
• No history of inflammatory bowel disease

Other

• Not pregnant or nursing
• Negative pregnancy test
• Fertile patients must use effective contraception
• No history of peripheral neuropathy
• No other major illness that would substantially increase the patient's risk

PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:

Biologic therapy

• Prior interferon allowed
• Prior denileukin diftitox allowed
• No prior interleukin (IL)-2 or IL-12
• No prior anti-T-cell monoclonal antibody therapy
• No other concurrent biologic therapy

Chemotherapy

• Prior topical imidazole mustard or carmustine allowed
• Prior bexarotene allowed
• Prior oral methotrexate allowed
• At least 3 weeks since prior topical chemotherapy

• At least 8 weeks since prior treatment with any single chemotherapeutic agent (12 weeks for multiple chemotherapeutic agents)

  • Treatment must not have included steroids
• No prior systemic chemotherapy
• No prior fludarabine, pentostatin, or cladribine
• No concurrent systemic chemotherapy

Endocrine therapy

• At least 3 weeks since prior topical or systemic steroids more potent than 1% hydrocortisone
• No concurrent systemic corticosteroids
• No concurrent low-potency steroid creams

Radiotherapy

• No concurrent radiotherapy

Surgery

• Not specified

Other

• At least 3 weeks since prior psoralen-ultraviolet-light (PUVA) or ultraviolet B (UVB)
• At least 3 weeks since prior retinoids
• At least 3 weeks since prior investigational drugs
• Prior photopheresis allowed
• No other concurrent investigational therapy