PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS: Age: 18 to 85 Performance status: WHO 0-2 Life expectancy: Greater than 12 weeks Hematopoietic: WBC at least 3500/mm3 OR Granulocyte count at least 2000/mm3 Hemoglobin at least 9 g/dL Platelet count at least 100,000/mm3 Hepatic: Bilirubin no greater than 1.5 times upper limit of normal (ULN) SGOT no greater than 2.5 times ULN Renal: Creatinine no greater than 1.5 times ULN Other: No acute severe infections No other neoplastic diseases except curatively treated basal cell or squamous cell carcinoma of the skin, or relapse free for more than 5 years after curative treatment of a neoplasm