RATIONALE: Drugs used in chemotherapy, such as liposomal doxorubicin and bexarotene, work in different ways to stop the growth of cancer cells, either by killing the cells or by stopping them from dividing. Bexarotene may also cause cutaneous T-cell lymphoma cells to look more like normal cells, and to grow and spread more slowly. Giving liposomal doxorubicin followed by bexarotene may be an effective treatment for cutaneous T-cell lymphoma.