Ganciclovir Plus Arginine Butyrate in Treating Patients With Cancer or Lymphoproliferative Disorders Associated With the Epstein Barr Virus

DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:

• Histologically confirmed malignancy or lymphoproliferative disease including the following:

  • Nasopharyngeal carcinoma
  • Hodgkin's lymphoma
  • African Burkitt's lymphoma
  • T-cell non-Hodgkin's lymphoma
  • B-cell non-Hodgkin's lymphoma if Epstein Barr Virus (EBV) positive
  • Other lymphomas associated with immunodeficiency or immunosuppression, including AIDS-related lymphoma
  • B-cell lymphoproliferative disorders
• Monoclonal or oligoclonal B-cell lymphoid disease (no polyclonal disease)

• EBV positive by immunohistochemistry or in situ hybridization

  • Negative serology for EBV allowed

PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:

Age:

• 3 and over

Performance status:

• Any status

Hematopoietic:

• Absolute granulocyte count at least 1,000/mm^3
• Platelet count at least 50,000/mm^3

Hepatic:

• Bilirubin no greater than 1.5 mg/dL
• Aminotransferase less than 2 times normal

Renal:

• Creatinine less than 3.0 mg/dL
• Creatinine clearance greater than 30 mL/min

Cardiovascular:

• No acute myocardial infarction within the past 6 months
• No atrial fibrillation within the past 6 months

Other:

• Not pregnant or nursing
• Negative pregnancy test
• Fertile patients must use effective contraception

PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:

Biologic therapy:

• Prior bone marrow or stem cell transplantation allowed
• No concurrent immunotherapy
• No concurrent interferon or tacrolimus

Chemotherapy:

• At least 3 weeks since prior chemotherapy (6 weeks for nitrosoureas and mitomycin) and recovered
• No concurrent cytotoxic chemotherapy

Endocrine therapy:

• No concurrent steroids

Radiotherapy:

• Recovered from prior radiotherapy

Surgery:

• Not specified