DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:

• Histologically confirmed mantle cell lymphoma

  • Newly diagnosed disease
  • Excisional biopsy or adequate core needle biopsies allowed
  • Tumor must be cyclin D-1 positive by IHC or have evidence of a t(11;14) translocation by FISH or cytogenetics

• Measurable or assessable disease, defined as ≥ 1 of the following:

  • A lymph node or tumor mass that is ≥ 2.0 cm in ≥ 1 dimension by PET/CT, CT, MRI, or plain radiograph imaging
  • Enlarged spleen that is palpable ≥ 3 cm below the left costal margin
  • Diffuse infiltration of an organ (e.g., stomach, bone marrow, peripheral blood, liver, lungs, or bowel) by lymphoma without a discrete mass (assessable only disease)
• No known CNS involvement

PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:

• ECOG performance status 0-3
• Life expectancy ≥ 12 weeks
• ANC ≥ 1,500/mm³
• Platelet count ≥ 100,000/mm³
• Serum creatinine ≤ 2.0 mg/dL
• Serum total bilirubin (or direct bilirubin if total is abnormal) normal with or without secondary liver involvement
• SGOT ≤ 3 times upper limit of normal (ULN) (≤ 5 times ULN if there is liver involvement)
• Not pregnant or nursing
• Negative pregnancy test
• Fertile patients must use effective contraception during and for 4 weeks after completion of study treatment
• Willing to return to NCCTG enrolling institution for follow-up
• Willing to provide blood and tissue specimens as required by the protocol
• Willing to abstain from eating grapefruit or drinking grapefruit juice
• No active or uncontrolled infection

• No cardiac conditions, including any of the following:

  • Uncontrolled high blood pressure
  • Unstable angina
  • Active congestive heart failure
  • Myocardial infarction within the past 6 months
  • Serious uncontrolled cardiac arrhythmia
• No medical or psychiatric conditions which, in the opinion of the investigator, make the patient a poor risk for participation
• No known HIV positivity
• No other malignancy within the past 5 years except carcinoma in situ of the cervix, resected basal cell or squamous cell carcinoma of the skin, or prostate cancer that is in remission following a radical retropubic prostatectomy or radiation therapy
• No known hypersensitivity to rituximab or its components, or to murine proteins

PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:

• No prior therapy for mantle cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma, including radiation therapy

  • Patients may have undergone a splenectomy for diagnosis, cytopenia, or systematic splenomegaly
• No prior mTOR inhibitor
• At least 7 days since prior and no concurrent enzyme-inducing antiepileptic drugs (e.g., phenytoin, fosphenytoin, carbamazepine, oxcarbazepine, phenobarbital, or primidone)
• At least 7 days since prior and no concurrent potent CYP3A4 inducer (e.g., rifampin, glucocorticoids at greater than adrenal replacement levels, or St. John's wort)
• At least 7 days since prior and no concurrent strong CYP3A4 inhibitors
• No planned autologous or allogeneic stem cell transplantation as part of initial therapy
• No concurrent combination anti-retroviral therapy for HIV-positive patients
• No other specific, concurrent treatment for prior cancer (other than hormonal therapy)

• No concurrent glucocorticoid steroids or other immunosuppressive therapies

  • Concurrent corticosteroids allowed for treatment of adrenal insufficiency, acute allergic reactions, or as N078D 27 prophylaxis for infusion-related adverse events
• No other concurrent investigational agent that would be considered treatment for the primary neoplasm