DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:

• Histologically confirmed relapsed or refractory aggressive non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL) including the following:

  • Diffuse large B-cell lymphoma
  • Transformed NHL
  • Follicular large cell lymphoma
  • Peripheral T-cell lymphoma
  • Unclassified aggressive histology (immunoblastic lymphoma)
• Must have received 1 to 3 prior chemotherapy treatment regimens (may include doxorubicin up to a cumulative dose of no greater than 450 mg/m^2)
• No Burkitt's lymphoma, lymphoblastic lymphoma, or mantle cell lymphoma

PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:

Age

• 18 to 64

Performance status

• WHO 0-1

Life expectancy

• At least 3 months

Hematopoietic

• Neutrophil count at least 1,500/mm^3*
• Platelet count at least 100,000/mm^3* NOTE: *Lower values may be accepted if evidence of bone marrow involvement

Hepatic

• Bilirubin no greater than 1.5 times upper limit of normal (ULN)**
• Alkaline phosphatase no greater than 2 times ULN**
• AST or ALT no greater than 2 times ULN**
• No history or clinical symptoms of hepatitis B or C virus NOTE: **Higher values may be accepted if evidence of liver involvement

Renal

• Creatinine no greater than 1.5 mg/dL

Cardiovascular

• LVEF at least 50% by MUGA
• No clinically significant cardiovascular abnormalities
• No New York Heart Association class II-IV heart disease
• No myocardial infarction within the past 6 months
• No severe arrhythmia
• No uncontrolled hypertension

Other

• Not pregnant or nursing
• Negative pregnancy test
• Fertile patients must use effective contraception during and for at least 6 months after study
• No history or clinical symptoms of HIV
• No clinically significant neurological abnormalities
• No serious uncontrolled infection (NCI CTC grade 3-4)
• No condition that would place the patient at undue risk or interfere with the study results

PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:

Biologic therapy

• At least 3 months since prior radioimmunotherapy

Chemotherapy

• See Disease Characteristics
• At least 4 weeks since prior chemotherapy
• At least 1 year since prior platinum or cytarabine (unless complete response to treatment)
• At least 2 years since prior fludarabine or nitrosoureas
• No prior cumulative cisplatin greater than 600 mg/m^2

Endocrine therapy

• Not specified

Radiotherapy

• See Biologic therapy
• At least 4 weeks since prior radiotherapy
• No prior radiotherapy to the whole pelvis

Surgery

• At least 1 week since prior minor surgery and recovered
• At least 4 weeks since prior major thoracic and/or abdominal surgery and recovered

Other

• At least 1 month since prior investigational drugs
• Recovered from prior therapy
• No other concurrent investigational drugs