Gemtuzumab Ozogamicin and High-Dose Cytarabine in Treating Patients With Relapsed or Refractory Acute Myeloid Leukemia

You may be eligible if

• DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:
• One of the following diagnoses:
• * Primary refractory acute myeloid leukemia (AML)
• * More than 10% blasts in the bone marrow or blood after recovery from 2 courses of standard cytarabine- and anthracycline-based induction chemotherapy
• * No prior remission
• * Relapsed AML
• * More than 10% blasts in the bone marrow or blood after documented remission
• * Prior remission lasted more than 30 days
• * No prior treatment for current relapse
• CD33 expression on at least 20% of leukemia blast cells at initial diagnosis for primary refractory patients or at the time of relapse for all other patients
• No active CNS involvement
• PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:
• Age:
• 17 and over
• Performance status:
• 0-2
• Life expectancy:
• Not specified
• Hematopoietic:
• See Disease Characteristics
• WBC less than 30,000/mm\^3
• Hepatic:
• Bilirubin less than 2.0 mg/dL
• No veno-occlusive disease of the liver
• No chronic liver disease unless due to AML
• Renal:
• Not specified
• Other:
• Not pregnant or nursing
• Negative pregnancy test
• Fertile patients must use effective contraception
• No active serious infection
• PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:
• Biologic therapy:
• At least 6 months since prior stem cell transplantation
• Chemotherapy:
• See Disease Characteristics
• Prior etoposide and/or thioguanine during remission induction allowed
• Prior hydroxyurea for control of AML allowed
• At least 24 hours since prior hydroxyurea
• At least 3 months since prior high-dose cytarabine (greater than 2 g/m\^2/dose)-containing regimen
• No other concurrent chemotherapy
• Endocrine therapy:
• Concurrent steroids for adrenal failure, hypersensitivity reactions, or septic shock allowed
• Concurrent ophthalmic corticosteroids allowed
• Concurrent hormones for nondisease-related conditions (e.g., insulin for diabetes or estrogens or progestins for gynecologic conditions) allowed
• Radiotherapy:
• No concurrent radiotherapy
• Surgery:
• Not specified
• Other:
• More than 2 months since prior cytotoxic therapy