RATIONALE: Drugs used in chemotherapy use different ways to stop cancer cells from dividing so they stop growing or die. Combining more than one drug may kill more cancer cells. Radiation therapy uses high-energy x-rays to damage cancer cells. Giving radiation therapy after chemotherapy may be an effective treatment for Hodgkin's disease.

PURPOSE: Phase II trial to study the effectiveness of combination chemotherapy and radiation therapy in treating children who have previously untreated stage II, stage III, or stage IV Hodgkin's disease.

OBJECTIVES: I. Determine the feasibility and toxicity of bleomycin, etoposide, doxorubicin, cyclophosphamide, vincristine, procarbazine, and prednisone (BEACOPP) induction in pediatric patients with previously untreated stage II, stage III, or stage IV Hodgkin's disease. II. Determine rates of complete response and rapid early partial response (defined as greater than 70% reduction in the size of a bulky mediastinal mass or nodal aggregate and a negative gallium scan) in these patients treated with 4 courses of BEACOPP. III. Determine whether thallium scans effectively measure response to therapy in these patients treated with this regimen. IV. Evaluate the expression of markers of apoptosis in tumor samples from these patients at diagnosis and at time of relapse, and correlate expression of these markers with response to therapy and overall outcome. V. Determine the utility of seven molecular genetic markers as surrogate markers of genotoxic damage caused by this regimen in these patients. VI. Estimate the incidence of therapy related late effects, including second malignant neoplasms, sterility, cardiac dysfunction, pulmonary restrictive disease, growth abnormalities, and thyroid disease in these patients.

OUTLINE: Induction: On day 0, patients receive cyclophosphamide IV over 30 minutes, doxorubicin IV over 15-30 minutes, etoposide IV over 1 hour, oral prednisone every 12 hours, and oral procarbazine. On days 1 and 2, patients receive etoposide IV over 1 hour, oral prednisone every 12 hours, and oral procarbazine. On days 3-6, patients receive oral prednisone every 12 hours and oral procarbazine. On day 7, patients receive vincristine IV, bleomycin IV over 5 minutes, and oral prednisone every 12 hours. On days 8-13, patients receive oral prednisone every 12 hours. Beginning on day 8, patients receive filgrastim (G-CSF) subcutaneously until absolute neutrophil counts recover. Treatment repeats every 3 weeks for 4 courses in the absence of disease progression or unacceptable toxicity. Consolidation therapy begins on week 12 or when blood counts recover. Consolidation for rapid early responders (patients with complete response (CR) or rapid early partial response (PR-1) to induction therapy): Females - Patients receive vincristine IV, cyclophosphamide IV over 30 minutes, oral prednisone every 12 hours, and oral procarbazine on day 0. On days 1-6, patients receive oral prednisone every 12 hours and oral procarbazine. On day 7, patients receive vinblastine IV, bleomycin IV over 5 minutes, doxorubicin IV over 15-30 minutes, and oral prednisone every 12 hours. On days 8-13, patients receive oral prednisone every 12 hours. Treatment repeats every 28 days for a total of 4 courses in the absence of disease progression or unacceptable toxicity. Males - Patients receive doxorubicin IV over 15-30 minutes, bleomycin IV over 5 minutes, vinblastine IV, and dacarbazine IV on days 0 and 14. Treatment repeats every 28 days for a total of 2 courses in the absence of disease progression or unacceptable toxicity. Beginning 3 weeks after completion of chemotherapy, male patients with CR or PR-1 receive radiotherapy 5 days per week to areas of initial disease involvement (total duration of radiotherapy is dependent on initial extent of disease). Consolidation for slow early responders: Patients with slow partial response (PR-2) or stable disease (SD) after 4 courses of induction therapy receive 4 additional courses of induction therapy in the absence of disease progression or unacceptable toxicity. Beginning on day 8, patients receive G-CSF subcutaneously until blood counts recover. Patients should be off G-CSF for more than 24 hours prior to the next course of chemotherapy. Beginning 3 weeks after completion of chemotherapy, male and female patients with PR-2 or SD receive radiotherapy 5 days per week to areas of initial disease involvement (total duration of radiotherapy is dependent on initial extent of disease). Patients are followed every 3 months for 2 years, every 6 months for 1 year, annually for 2 years and then at years 10 and 20.

PROJECTED ACCRUAL: Approximately 25-50 patients will be accrued for this study.

DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS: Histologically proven, previously untreated Hodgkin's disease Stage IV OR Stage II or stage III with B symptoms (at least 1 of the following: unexplained weight loss greater than 10%, unexplained recurrent fever greater than 39 degrees C, or drenching night sweats) AND bulk disease (defined as a mediastinal mass greater than 1/3 of mediastinal thoracic diameter and/or nodal aggregate greater than 10.0 cm) The following cellular types are eligible: Mixed cellularity, not otherwise specified (NOS) Lymphocytic depletion, NOS Lymphocytic depletion, diffuse fibrosis Lymphocytic depletion, reticular Lymphocytic predominance, NOS Lymphocytic predominance, diffuse Lymphocytic predominance, nodular Hodgkin's paragranuloma Hodgkin's granuloma Hodgkin's sarcoma Nodular sclerosis, NOS Nodular sclerosis, cellular phase Nodular sclerosis, lymphocytic predominance Nodular sclerosis, mixed cellularity Nodular sclerosis, lymphocytic depletion Hodgkin's disease, NOS Must begin protocol therapy within 42 days of biopsy and 7 days of completion of staging

PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS: Age: 21 and under Performance status: Not specified Life expectancy: Not specified Hematopoietic: Not specified Hepatic: Not specified Renal: Not specified Other: Not pregnant or nursing Fertile patients must use effective contraception

PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY: No prior treatment for Hodgkin's disease