DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:

• Histologically proven relapsed or refractory non-Hodgkin's lymphoma
• Scheduled to undergo high-dose chemotherapy (carmustine, etoposide, cytarabine, and melphalan) with autologous peripheral blood mononuclear cell transplantation
• No metastatic disease involving the bone marrow

PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:

Age:

• 17 to 65

Performance status:

• ECOG 0 or 1

Life expectancy:

• Not specified

Hematopoietic:

• Absolute neutrophil count greater than 1,500/mm^3
• Platelet count greater than 100,000/mm^3

Hepatic:

• No active hepatitis B or C
• Bilirubin less than 2.5 times normal*
• SGOT or SGPT less than 2.5 times normal*
• Alkaline phosphatase less than 2.5 times normal NOTE: * Unless Gilbert's syndrome present

Renal:

• Creatinine clearance greater than 50 mL/min

Cardiovascular:

• Cardiac ejection fraction normal

Pulmonary:

• DLCO at least 50% predicted
• FEV_1 and FVC at least 75% predicted

Other:

• HIV negative
• Not pregnant
• Negative pregnancy test
• No non-neoplastic disease that would preclude intensive chemotherapy

PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:

Biologic therapy:

• See Disease Characteristics

Chemotherapy:

• See Disease Characteristics

Endocrine therapy:

• Not specified

Radiotherapy:

• No prior external beam radiotherapy to more than 25% of the active bone marrow

Surgery:

• Not specified