Gemcitabine and Vinorelbine in Treating Young Patients With Recurrent or Refractory Hodgkin's Lymphoma

Inclusion criteria

DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS: * Histologically confirmed Hodgkin's lymphoma\* with any of the following histologies: * Not otherwise specified (NOS) * Mixed cellularity NOS * Lymphocytic depletion * NOS * Diffuse fibrosis * Reticular * Lymphocytic predominance * NOS * Diffuse * Nodular * Paragranuloma * Granuloma * Sarcoma * Nodular sclerosis * Cellular phase * NOS * Lymphocytic predominance * Mixed cellularity * Lymphocytic depletion NOTE: \*Disease metastatic to bone marrow with granulocytopenia and/or thrombocytopenia is allowed, but is not evaluable for hematological toxicity * Measurable disease by clinical or radiographic criteria * Relapsed or refractory to conventional therapy * Received at least 2 prior cytotoxic chemotherapy regimens * No stage IA or IIA nodal disease previously treated with any of the following: * Radiotherapy only * No more than 4 courses of prior chemotherapy PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS: Age * 30 and under Performance status * Karnofsky 50-100% (over 16 years of age) * Lansky 50-100% (16 and under) OR * ECOG 0-2 Life expectancy * At least 8 weeks Hematopoietic * See Disease Characteristics * Absolute neutrophil count ≥ 750/mm\^3 * Platelet count ≥ 75,000/mm\^3 (transfusion independent, defined as ≥ 3 days since prior platelet transfusion) Hepatic * Bilirubin ≤ 1.5 times upper limit of normal (ULN) * ALT ≤ 2.5 times ULN Renal * Creatinine clearance or radioisotope glomerular filtration rate ≥ 70 mL/min OR * Creatinine based on age as follows: * No greater than 0.8 mg/dL (age 5 and under) * No greater than 1.0 mg/dL (age 6 to 10) * No greater than 1.2 mg/dL (age 11 to 15) * No greater than 1.5 mg/dL (over age 15) Pulmonary * DLCO ≥ 50% * FEV\_1 ≥ 50% * Vital capacity ≥ 50% * No evidence of dyspnea at rest * No exercise intolerance Other * Not pregnant or nursing * Negative pregnancy test * Fertile patients must use effective contraception during and for 3 months after study participation * Seizure disorder allowed provided patient is on anticonvulsants and disorder is well controlled * No evidence of active graft-versus-host disease PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY: Biologic therapy * Recovered from prior immunotherapy * At least 6 months since prior allogeneic stem cell transplantation (SCT) * At least 7 days since prior biologic agents * More than 3 months since prior autologous SCT * More than 1 week since prior growth factors * No concurrent immunomodulating agents Chemotherapy * See Disease Characteristics * More than 2 weeks since prior myelosuppressive chemotherapy (4 weeks for nitrosoureas) and recovered * No prior gemcitabine and vinorelbine in combination (i.e., administered within 1 week of each other) * Prior gemcitabine or vinorelbine administered alone is allowed * No other concurrent chemotherapy Endocrine therapy * No concurrent steroids, including corticosteroids as an antiemetic or for control of graft-versus-host disease * Concurrent corticosteroids allowed only for the following indications: * Adrenal crisis in patients with suppressed pituitary/adrenal response * Noncardiogenic pulmonary edema * Allergic reactions to amphotericin or transfusions treated with low-dose hydrocortisone (less than 100 mg/m\^2) Radiotherapy * See Disease Characteristics * At least 3 weeks since prior radiotherapy and recovered Surgery * Not specified Other * Concurrent immunosuppressive drugs allowed