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RATIONALE: Radiolabeled monoclonal antibodies, such as iodine I 131 tositumomab, can locate cancer cells and deliver radioactive cancer-killing substances to them without harming normal cells. Combining a radiolabeled monoclonal antibody with autologous stem cell transplantation may be an effective treatment for non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. PURPOSE: Phase II trial to study the effectiveness of combining iodine I 131 tositumomab with autologous stem cell transplantation in treating older patients who have relapsed or refractory non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. OBJECTIVES: Primary * Determine the progression-free survival of older patients with relapsed or refractory non-Hodgkin's lymphoma treated with iodine I 131 tositumomab followed by autologous stem cell transplantation. Secondary * Determine the overall survival of patients treated with this regimen. * Determine the toxicity and tolerability of this regimen in these patients. OUTLINE: * Radioimmunotherapy: Patients receive a test dose of iodine I 131 tositumomab on day -24 to determine biodistribution. Patients then receive therapeutic iodine I 131 tositumomab IV over 1 hour on day -14 and are entered into radiation isolation until day -4. * Autologous stem cell transplantation: Patients undergo autologous bone marrow or peripheral blood stem cell transplantation on day 0. Patients undergoing bone marrow transplantation receive filgrastim (G-CSF) or sargramostim (GM-CSF) subcutaneously beginning on day 0 and continuing until blood counts recover. Patients are followed at 1, 3, 6, and 12 months and then annually thereafter. PROJECTED ACCRUAL: A total of 24-30 patients will be accrued for this study within 2 years.
DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS: * Histologically confirmed non-Hodgkin's lymphoma * CD20+ disease * Failed at least 1 prior standard systemic therapy * Persistent lymphoma by physical examination, radiographic studies, bone marrow evaluations, flow cytometry, or polymerase chain reaction * Tumor burden less than 500 cc by computed tomography or MRI * No splenomegaly * Autologous hematopoietic stem cells or bone marrow harvested and cryopreserved * No circulating lymphoma cells by morphology or flow cytometry at or near the time of peripheral blood stem cell (PBSC) collection if unpurged PBSCs are to be used * 10% or less marrow involvement by flow cytometry or morphology if purged bone marrow is to be used * No CNS lymphoma * No chronic lymphocytic leukemia or small lymphocytic lymphoma/well-differentiated lymphocytic lymphoma PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS: Age * 60 to 80 Performance status * SWOG 0-1 Life expectancy * More than 60 days Hematopoietic * See Disease Characteristics Hepatic * Bilirubin less than 1.5 mg/dL Renal * Creatinine less than 2.0 mg/dL Cardiovascular * No active coronary artery disease Pulmonary * FEV_1 at least 70% of expected * Vital capacity at least 70% of expected Other * Not pregnant * Negative pregnancy test * Fertile patients must use effective contraception * HIV negative * Able to perform self-care during radiation isolation * No major organ dysfunction * No major infection * No circulating anti-mouse antibody * No other serious medical condition considered to represent contraindications to bone marrow transplantation * No competing causes of death that would predict life span to be less than 10 additional years PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY: Biologic therapy * No prior bone marrow or stem cell transplantation Chemotherapy * Not specified Endocrine therapy * Not specified Radiotherapy * No prior radiotherapy greater than 20 Gy to any critical normal organ (e.g., lung, liver, spinal cord, or more than 25% of red marrow) Surgery * Not specified Other * More than 30 days since prior systemic antilymphoma therapy