DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:

* Histologically confirmed classical Hodgkin lymphoma (HL) (i.e., nodular sclerosis, mixed cellularity, lymphocyte-rich, or lymphocyte-depleted)

* Previously untreated stage III or IV disease
* No nodular lymphocyte predominant disease
* Bidimensionally measurable disease
* Adequate biopsy samples from original diagnostic specimen must be available for pathologic review

* Tissue obtained from core biopsies allowed
* No tissue obtained from needle aspirations or cytologies
* Must have known HIV status

* No multi-drug resistant HIV infection, CD4 counts \< 150/μL, or other concurrent AIDS-defining conditions in HIV-positive patients
* HIV-positive patients with CD4 counts ≥ 150/μL at the time of enrollment OR documented CD4 count \> 250/μL at any time within 8 months prior to HL diagnosis allowed
* Must have undergone unilateral or bilateral bone marrow biopsy within the past 42 days
* Must have a diagnostic quality CT scan of the chest/abdomen and pelvis AND baseline FDG-PET scan within the past 28 days

* Combined PET/CT scans required
* No older "stand-alone" FDG-PET scans
* No low-resolution "localization" CT scans as part of a combined PET/CT scans

PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:

* Zubrod performance status 0-2
* Serum erythrocyte sedimentation rate, lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), hemoglobin, albumin, white blood cell count (WBC), and lymphocytes measured within the past 28 days
* Serum estradiol (women only), testosterone (men only), follicle stimulating hormone (FSH) and luteinizing hormone (LH) (both men and women) levels must be drawn within 60 days prior to registration
* Not pregnant or nursing
* Fertile patients must use effective contraception during and for ≥ 6 months after completion of study therapy
* No significant cardiac abnormalities as assessed by multiple gated acquisition scan (MUGA) or ECHO AND cardiac ejection fraction ≥ 45% in patients with a history of hypertension or cardiac symptoms
* Hepatitis B-negative (i.e., hepatitis B surface antigen-negative or anti-hepatitis B core antigen-negative)

* Patients immune to or immunized against hepatitis B (i.e., anti-hepatitis B surface antibody-positive) are eligible
* Hepatitis C-negative (i.e., anti-hepatitis C antibody-negative)
* No significant lung disease with abnormal lung function tests (i.e., diffusing capacity of lung for carbon monoxide (DLCO) \> 25% below predicted after correction for hemoglobin) unless attributable to lymphoma
* No requirement for continuous supplemental oxygen therapy
* No other prior malignancy except adequately treated basal cell or squamous cell skin cancer, in situ cervical cancer, adequately treated stage I or II cancer from which the patient is currently in complete remission, or any other cancer from which the patient has been disease-free for 5 years

PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:

* See Disease Characteristics
* No prior chemotherapy, radiotherapy, or antibody therapy for lymphoma
* No prior solid organ transplantation