RATIONALE: Giving chemotherapy drugs, such as melphalan, before an autologous stem cell transplant helps stop the growth of cancer cells, either by killing the cells or by stopping them from dividing. Also, monoclonal antibodies, such as yttrium Y 90 ibritumomab tiuxetan and rituximab, can find cancer cells and carry cancer-killing substances to them without harming normal cells. Chemotherapy and monoclonal antibody therapy also prepares the patient's bone marrow for the stem cell transplant. Giving colony-stimulating factors, such as G-CSF, and vinorelbine helps stem cells move from the bone marrow to the blood so they can be collected and stored. The stem cells are returned to the patient to replace the blood-forming cells that were destroyed by the chemotherapy and monoclonal antibody therapy.

PURPOSE: This phase I trial is studying the side effects and best dose of melphalan when given together with yttrium Y 90 ibritumomab tiuxetan and rituximab followed by autologous stem cell transplant in treating older patients with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma that has relapsed or not responded to previous treatment.

OBJECTIVES:

• Determine the maximum tolerated dose of high-dose melphalan when given together with yttrium Y 90 ibritumomab tiuxetan and rituximab as a conditioning regimen followed by vinorelbine ditartrate- and filgrastim (G-CSF)-mobilized autologous stem cell transplantation in elderly patients with relapsed or refractory CD20-positive non-Hodgkin's lymphoma.
• Evaluate the feasibility and safety of this regimen in these patients.
• Determine the feasibility of stem cell mobilization with vinorelbine ditartrate in patients treated with this regimen.

OUTLINE: This is a multicenter, dose-escalation study of high-dose melphalan.

• Stem cell harvest and mobilization: Patients receive vinorelbine ditartrate IV on day -36 and filgrastim (G-CSF) subcutaneously (SC) twice daily on days -33 to -29. Patients undergo peripheral blood stem cell harvest on days -29 to -26.
• Radioimmunotherapy: Patients receive rituximab IV. Within 4 hours after completion of rituximab, patients receive indium In 111 ibritumomab tiuxetan (imaging dose) IV over 10 minutes on day -25. Patients undergo assessment of biodistribution, imaging, and dosimetry on days -25, -22, and optionally on day -20. Patients with acceptable biodistribution of indium In 111 ibritumomab tiuxetan receive rituximab IV followed by yttrium Y 90 ibritumomab tiuxetan (therapeutic dose) IV over 10 minutes on day -18.
• High-dose chemotherapy: Patients receive high-dose melphalan IV on day -1. Cohorts of 3-6 patients receive escalating doses of high-dose melphalan until the maximum tolerated dose (MTD) is determined. The MTD is defined as the dose preceding that at which 2 of 6 patients experience dose-limiting toxicity.
• Autologous stem cell transplantation (ASCT): Patients undergo ASCT on day 0. Patients receive G-CSF SC beginning on day 5 and continuing until blood counts recover.

After completion of study treatment, patients are followed for 100 days.

PROJECTED ACCRUAL: A total of 24 patients will be accrued for this study.

DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:

• Histologically confirmed non-Hodgkin's lymphoma of any type
• CD20-positive disease
• Achieved partial or complete response to salvage treatment for relapse or refractory disease within the past 10 weeks
• Must have an indication for autologous stem cell transplantation
• Bone marrow infiltration < 25%
• No evidence of CNS involvement

PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:

• WHO performance status 0-1

• Bilirubin ≤ 2 times upper limit of normal (ULN)

• Alkaline phosphatase ≤ 2 times ULN

• AST ≤ 2 times ULN

• Creatinine clearance > 50 mL/min

• No clinically significant cardiac disease, including any of the following:

  • Unstable angina pectoris
  • Significant arrhythmia
  • Myocardial infarction within the past 3 months

• LVEF > 50%

• No clinically significant urinary tract obstruction

• No clinically significant pulmonary disease

• No serious underlying medical condition that would preclude study participation

• No other malignancy within the past 5 years except nonmelanoma skin cancer or adequately treated in situ cervical cancer

PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:

• See Disease Characteristics
• At least 30 days since prior participation in another clinical trial
• No prior stem cell transplantation
• No prior radiolabeled antibodies, including for induction of disease remission
• No prior radiotherapy to ≥ 25% of the bone marrow
• No concurrent radiotherapy
• No other concurrent anticancer drugs
• No other concurrent investigational drugs