RATIONALE: Drugs used in chemotherapy work in different ways to stop the growth of cancer cells, either by killing the cells or by stopping them from dividing. Giving more than one drug (combination chemotherapy) may kill more cancer cells. Diagnostic procedures, such as fludeoxyglucose F 18 positron emission tomography (FDG-PET scan), may help doctors predict a patient's response to treatment and help plan the best treatment. It is not yet known whether FDG-PET scan-guided therapy is more effective than standard therapy in treating Hodgkin's lymphoma.