DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:

• Diagnosis of chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) or small lymphocytic lymphoma, as defined by all of the following criteria:

  • Absolute peripheral lymphocyte count (mature-appearing lymphocytes) > 5,000/mm^3 that has persisted for ≥ 4 weeks
  • Mature lymphocytes with < 55% cells comprising atypical lymphocytes, prolymphocytes, or lymphoblasts in peripheral blood
  • Normal or hypercellular bone marrow aspirate and biopsy with ≥ 30% of nucleated cells of lymphoid origin
  • At least 1 B-cell marker (CD19, CD20, or CD23) AND CD5 in peripheral blood or bone marrow by flow cytometry
• T-cell CLL OR CLL that has progressed to prolymphocytic leukemia (PLL) allowed

• B-Cell CLL or PLL patients who:

  • Failed to meet NCI Working Group criteria for complete or partial response after therapy with regimens containing fludarabine (or another nucleoside analog [e.g., cladribine or pentostatin]) or with disease relapse within 12 months after completing therapy with a regimen containing fludarabine (or another nucleoside analog)
  • Failed FCR combination chemotherapy at any time point

  • have de novo of acquired "17p deletion" cytogenetic abnormality

    • Patients should have received induction chemotherapy but could be transplanted in first complete response

• Suitable unrelated donor available

  • Matched for HLA-A, -B, -C, -DRB1, and -DQB1 by high resolution typing

    • Only a single allele disparity for HLA-A, -B, or -C by high resolution typing allowed
  • No marrow donor
  • No HLA-matched related donor
• No active CNS involvement with CLL

PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:

Age

• Any age

Performance status

• Karnofsky 60-100% for adult patients
• Lansky 40-60% for pediatric patients

Life expectancy

• Not specified

Hematopoietic

• See Disease Characteristics

Hepatic

• No fulminant liver failure
• No cirrhosis of the liver with evidence of portal hypertension
• No hepatic damage with bridging fibrosis
• No alcoholic hepatitis
• No esophageal varices
• No history of bleeding esophageal varices
• No hepatic encephalopathy
• No uncorrectable hepatic synthetic dysfunction as evidenced by prolongation of PT
• No ascites related to portal hypertension
• No bacterial or fungal liver abscess
• No chronic viral hepatitis with bilirubin > 3 mg/dL
• No biliary obstruction
• No symptomatic biliary disease

Renal

• Not specified

Cardiovascular

• Ejection fraction ≥ 40% by MUGA or echocardiogram
• No poorly controlled hypertension despite multiple hypertensives

Pulmonary

• DLCO ≥ 40%
• Pulmonary nodules allowed at the discretion of the principal investigator
• No requirement for continuous supplementary oxygen
• No severe deficits in pulmonary function as determined by pulmonary consultant

Immunologic

• HIV negative

Other

• Not pregnant or nursing
• Fertile patients must use effective contraception before, during, and for 12 months after transplantation
• No solid tumor or melanoma > stage I within the past 5 years
• No other prior (i.e., within the past 5 years) or concurrent malignancy except nonmelanoma skin cancer unless in complete remission and ≤ 20% chance of recurrence
• No active bacterial or fungal infections unresponsive to medical therapy

PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:

Biologic therapy

• See Chemotherapy

Chemotherapy

• See Disease Characteristics
• More than 3 weeks since prior intensive systemic chemotherapy* for cytoreduction NOTE: *Cytokine therapy, low-dose cytarabine, chlorambucil, and rituximab are not considered systemic chemotherapy

Endocrine therapy

• Not specified

Radiotherapy

• Prior radiotherapy to high-risk sites of bulky disease or skeletal lesions allowed for cytoreduction

Surgery

• Not specified

Other

• More than 2 weeks since other prior cytotoxic agents for cytoreduction
• No other concurrent anticancer therapy