Intensive Treatment For T-CELL Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia and Advanced Stage Lymphoblastic Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma: A Pediatric Oncology Group Phase III Study

RATIONALE: Drugs used in chemotherapy use different ways to stop tumor cells from dividing so they stop growing or die. Combining more than one drug may kill more tumor cells. Dexrazoxane may lessen the side effects of chemotherapy. PURPOSE: Randomized phase III trial to compare combination chemotherapy with or without dexrazoxane and with or without high-dose methotrexate in patients with acute lymphoblastic leukemia or advanced lymphoblastic non-Hodgkin's lymphoma.