3-AP and Cytarabine in Treating Patients With Hematologic Cancer

You may be eligible if

• DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:
• Diagnosis of 1 of the following hematologic malignancies:
• * Acute myeloid leukemia
• * Acute lymphoblastic leukemia
• * Chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML)
• * CML in blast crisis
• * Chronic lymphocytic leukemia
• * High-risk\* myelodysplastic syndromes, including the following:
• * Refractory anemia with excess blasts (RAEB)
• * RAEB in transformation
• * Chronic myelomonocytic leukemia NOTE: \*High-risk myelodysplasia defined as having an International Performance Scoring System score of at least 1.5, based on adverse cytogenetics, greater than 10% blasts in marrow, and cytopenias in at least 2 lineages
• Relapsed or refractory disease
• Ineligible for higher priority protocols
• PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:
• Age
• 18 and over
• Performance status
• ECOG 0-2
• Life expectancy
• More than 2 months
• Hematopoietic
• See Disease Characteristics
• Hepatic
• Bilirubin no greater than 2.0 mg/dL (unless considered due to malignancy)
• ALT or AST no greater than 3 times upper limit of normal
• Chronic hepatitis allowed
• Renal
• Creatinine no greater than 2.0 mg/dL (unless considered due to malignancy)
• Cardiovascular
• No myocardial infarction within the past 3 months
• No symptomatic coronary artery disease
• No arrhythmias (other than atrial fibrillation or flutter) requiring treatment
• No uncontrolled congestive heart failure
• Other
• Not pregnant or nursing
• Negative pregnancy test
• Fertile patients must use effective contraception
• Concurrent infections under active treatment with and controlled by antibiotics allowed
• No other concurrent life-threatening illness
• No mental deficit or psychiatric history that would preclude giving informed consent or complying with protocol
• PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:
• Biologic therapy
• At least 1 week since prior growth factors, including the following:
• * Epoetin alfa
• * Filgrastim (G-CSF)
• * Sargramostim (GM-CSF)
• * Interleukin-3
• * Interleukin-11
• No concurrent anticancer immunotherapy
• Chemotherapy
• At least 72 hours since prior hydroxyurea
• Recovered from prior chemotherapy
• No other concurrent anticancer chemotherapy
• Endocrine therapy
• Not specified
• Radiotherapy
• At least 2 weeks since prior radiotherapy
• No concurrent anticancer radiotherapy
• Surgery
• Not specified
• Other
• At least 3 weeks since prior myelosuppressive cytotoxic agents (in the absence of rapidly progressing disease)
• At least 1 week since prior nonmyelosuppressive therapy
• No other concurrent standard or investigational therapy for the malignancy