OBJECTIVES:
* Determine the safety and efficacy of gemtuzumab ozogamicin and cytarabine in patients with relapsed acute myeloid leukemia.
* Determine the frequency and severity of toxic effects of this regimen in CD33-positive patients.
* Determine, preliminarily, the prognostic significance of drug resistance phenotype, cytogenetics, and molecular genetic characteristics of patients treated with this regimen.
OUTLINE: This is a multicenter study.
* Induction: Patients receive gemtuzumab ozogamicin IV over at least 2 hours on days 1 and 8 and cytarabine IV continuously over days 1-7.
* Consolidation: Beginning between days 28 and 75, patients who achieve A1 bone marrow, B1 peripheral blood, and C1 extramedullary disease status receive one course of gemtuzumab ozogamicin and cisplatin as in induction chemotherapy.
Patients are followed every 3 months for 1 year, every 6 months for 1 year, and then annually for 3 years.
PROJECTED ACCRUAL: A total of 30-55 patients will be accrued for this study within 10-28 months.