Inclusion Criteria

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