S0112 Cytarabine and Daunorubicin in Treating Older Patients With Acute Myeloid Leukemia

DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:

Histologically confirmed acute myeloid leukemia (AML)

No M3 AML or blastic transformation of chronic myelogenous leukemia
Must be enrolled on SWOG-9007 and S9910 protocols

PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:

Age:

56 and over

Performance status:

Zubrod 0-3

Life expectancy:

Not specified

Hematopoietic:

Not specified

Hepatic:

Bilirubin no greater than 2 times upper limit of normal (ULN)
SGOT or SGPT no greater than 4 times ULN

Renal:

Creatinine no greater than 1.5 times ULN OR
Creatinine clearance greater than 40 mL/min

Cardiovascular:

LVEF at least 50% by MUGA scan or 2-dimensional echocardiogram
No unstable cardiac arrhythmias
No unstable angina

Other:

Not pregnant or nursing
Fertile patients must use effective contraception
No other prior malignancy within the past 5 years except adequately treated basal cell or squamous cell skin cancer, carcinoma in situ of the cervix, or other adequately treated stage I or II cancer in complete remission

PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:

Biologic therapy:

Not specified

Chemotherapy:

No prior systemic chemotherapy for acute leukemia
Prior hydroxyurea to control high cell counts allowed
Prior low-dose cytarabine (less than 100 mg/m^2/day) for treatment of myelodysplastic syndrome allowed
At least 30 days since prior chemotherapy and recovered
Concurrent single-dose intrathecal chemotherapy allowed

Endocrine therapy:

Not specified

Radiotherapy:

Not specified

Surgery:

Not specified