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

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 glomeru…