STI571 Plus Cytarabine in Treating Patients With Chronic Myelogenous Leukemia

Inclusion Criteria

• •Diagnosis of chronic myelogenous leukemia in myeloid blast crisis
• •* At least 30% blasts in bone marrow
• •Philadelphia chromosome positive by cytogenetic analysis
• •bcr/abl translocation by fluorescent in situ hybridization
• •Ineligible for or refused allogeneic stem cell transplantation
• •Not previously treated with imatinib mesylate OR currently receiving imatinib mesylate with stable disease on 2 bone marrow biopsies at least 2 weeks apart
• •Performance status - ECOG 0-2
• •See Disease Characteristics
• •Bilirubin less than 3 times upper limit of normal (ULN)
• •AST and ALT less than 3 times ULN
• •Creatinine less than 2 times ULN
• •No New York Heart Association class III or IV heart disease
• •Not pregnant or nursing
• •Negative pregnancy test
• •Fertile patients must use effective barrier contraception during and for at least 2 weeks after study for female patients and at least 3 months after study for male patients
• •See Disease Characteristics
• •No prior allogeneic bone marrow or peripheral blood stem cell transplantation
• •At least 48 hours since prior interferon alfa
• •At least 24 hours since prior hydroxyurea
• •At least 6 weeks since prior busulfan
• •No other prior chemotherapy for blast crisis (except hydroxyurea)
• •Concurrent hydroxyurea or anagrelide for severe leukocytosis or thrombocytosis allowed
• •At least 4 weeks since prior investigational agents