Arsenic Trioxide and Imatinib Mesylate in Treating Patients With Chronic Myelogenous Leukemia

Inclusion Criteria

• •DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:
• •Cytogenetically confirmed Philadelphia chromosome-positive (Ph+) chronic myelogenous leukemia, meeting one of the following criteria:
• •* Chronic phase
• •* Less than 15% blasts in peripheral blood or marrow
• •* Less than 30% blasts and promyelocytes in peripheral blood or marrow
• •* Less than 20% basophils in blood or marrow
• •* Platelet count at least 100,000/mm\^3 (unless therapy related)
• •* No progressive (increase of at least 10 cm in any 4 of the past 24 weeks) or existing (greater than 10 cm) splenomegaly
• •* Complete hematologic response (CHR)
• •* No immature myeloid cells in peripheral blood
• •* No increased basophils in peripheral blood
• •* WBC less than upper limit of normal (ULN)
• •* Platelet count less than ULN
• •* No major (less than 35% Ph+) or complete (0% Ph+) cytogenetic response after at least 6 months of imatinib mesylate
• •* Loss of prior major cytogenetic response or failure to achieve major cytogenetic response
• •PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:
• •Age
• •18 and over
• •Performance status
• •ECOG 0-2
• •Life expectancy
• •Not specified
• •Hematopoietic
• •See Disease Characteristics
• •Hepatic
• •Bilirubin less than 1.5 times ULN
• •AST or ALT less than 2.5 times ULN
• •Renal
• •Creatinine less than 1.5 times ULN
• •Cardiovascular
• •No New York Heart Association grade III or IV congestive heart failure
• •No untreated symptomatic cardiac ischemia
• •No underlying cardiac arrhythmia, including but not limited to any of the following:
• •* Conduction abnormality/atrioventricular heart block
• •* Nodal/junctional arrhythmia/dysrhythmia
• •* Sinus bradycardia or tachycardia
• •* Supraventricular tachycardia
• •* Ventricular arrhythmia
• •Other
• •Not pregnant or nursing
• •Negative pregnancy test
• •Fertile patients must use 2 methods of effective barrier contraception during and for 3 months after study
• •Electrolyte levels (especially potassium and magnesium) normal (CHR patients)
• •No history of noncompliance that would preclude study participation
• •No other concurrent serious, uncontrolled medical condition
• •No grade 2 or greater neuropathy
• •PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:
• •Biologic therapy
• •Not specified
• •Chemotherapy
• •Not specified
• •Endocrine therapy
• •Not specified
• •Radiotherapy
• •Not specified
• •Surgery
• •Not specified
• •Other
• •More than 14 days since prior therapy except hydroxyurea, anagrelide hydrochloride, or imatinib mesylate
• •More than 28 days since prior investigational agents
• •No concurrent grapefruit or grapefruit juice