Phase II Trial of Cisplatin Plus Etoposide Plus Gemcitabine Plus Solumedrol (PEGS) in Peripheral T-Cell Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma

--Must have either newly diagnosed NHL of T-cell lineage or relapsed or progressing disease after one prior treatment with a non-platinum based chemotherapy (e.g. CHOP). NHL of T-cell lineage includes extranodal types (i.e. extranodal NK/T-cell lymphoma nasal type, enteropathy-type T-cell lymphoma, hepatosplenic T-cell lymphoma, and subcutaneous panniculitis-like T-cell lymphoma) and nodal types (i.e. angioimmunoblastic T-cell lymphoma). Patients with transformed cutaneous T-cell lymphoma (CTCL) to peripheral T-cell lymphoma (PTCL) with systemic involvement (not local skin transformation) are also eligible.

--Must have Stage III, Stage IV, or bulky Stage II extent of disease;

--Must provide adequate sections (one H&E stained section AND a paraffin block, two 0.6 cm tissue corse, or 20 unstained paraffin slides) from the original specimen must be made available for pathology review;

--Consent to the tissue and serum sample submission requirements as outlined in Section 15.4 is encouraged, but not required for study entry.

--Must have bidimensionally measurable disease documented w/in 28 days prior to registration, non-measurable disease must be assessed w/in 42 days prior to registration;

--Must have received no more than one prior treatment with a non-platinum based chemotherapy (e.g. CHOP) for their PTCL-NHL

--Prior biological therapy must be completed at least 3 weeks prior to registration;

--Labs (w/in 28 days prior to registration): : ANC >/= 1,500/mcL, platelets >/=75,000/mcL, serum bilirubin </= 2 X IULN; measured OR estimated creatinine clearance >/= 30 mL/min

--Must have bilateral or unilateral bone marrow aspirate and biopsy performed w/in 42 days prior to registration;

--Must not have plans for other concommitant chemotherapeutic agents or RT;

-Must not be pregnant or nursing;

-Patients with mild hearing loss must be willing to accept the potential for worsening of symptoms;

--Must have chest x-ray or CT scan of the chest and a CT scan or the abdomen and pelvis w/in 28 days prior to registration;

--Must not have clinical evidence of CNS involvement by lymphoma; must not have a history of impaired cardiac status;

--Must be HIV negative;

--Mo prior malignancy is allowed except for adequately treated basal cell (or squamous cell) skin cancer, in situ cervical cancer or other cancer for which the patient has been disease-free for 5 years;

--Age 18 or older

--Performance status 0-2