Combination Chemotherapy and Tipifarnib in Treating Patients With Newly Diagnosed Acute Myeloid Leukemia

OBJECTIVES: Primary * Determine the maximum tolerated dose of tipifarnib when given in combination with induction therapy comprising cytarabine, daunorubicin, and etoposide followed by consolidation therapy comprising high-dose cytarabine in patients with newly diagnosed high-risk acute myeloid leukemia. Secondary * Determine the qualitative and quantitative toxic effects of this regimen, in terms of organ specificity, time course, predictability, and reversibility, in these patients. * Determine the rate of complete remission in patients treated with this regimen. * Determine the remission duration, overall survival, and relapse-free and event-free survival of patients treated with this regimen. * Determine the pharmacokinetics of this regimen in these patients. * Correlate pharmacodynamic measurements and levels of tumor necrosis factor-alpha with clinical response in patients treated with this regimen. OUTLINE: This is a dose-escalation study of tipifarnib. * Induction therapy: Patients receive cytarabine IV continuously on days 1-7; daunorubicin IV and etoposide IV over 2 hours on days 5-7; and oral tipifarnib twice daily on days 5-12. Patients undergo bone marrow biopsy on day 17 OR days 17 and 24 (if day 17 bone marrow biopsy shows suspicious disease). Patients achieving a complete remission (CR) proceed to consolidation therapy. Patients with residual disease, defined as \> 5% leukemic blasts in a bone marrow of ≥ 20% cellularity, receive a second course of induction therapy comprising cytarabine IV continuously on days 1-5; daunorubicin IV and etoposide IV over 2 hours on days 4 and 5; and oral tipifarnib twice daily on days 4-9. Patients achieving a CR after a second course of induction therapy proceed to consolidation therapy. Patients not achieving a CR after a second course of induction therapy are removed from the study. Cohorts of 3-6 patients receive escalating doses of tipifarnib until the maximum tolerated dose (MTD) is determined. The MTD is defined as the dose preceding that at which 2 of 3 or 2 of 6 patients experience dose-limiting toxicity. An additional 12 patients are treated at the MTD. * Consolidation therapy: Patients receive high-dose cytarabine IV twice daily on days 1, 3, and 5. Treatment repeats approximately every 6-8 weeks for 4 courses. After completion of study treatment, patients are followed every 3-6 months for up to 5 years. PROJECTED ACCRUAL: A maximum of 30 patients will be accrued for this study within 10-15 months.