Combination Chemotherapy With or Without G-CSF in Treating Patients With Relapsed Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia

OBJECTIVES: Primary * Compare the rate of remission, severe infections, and side effects in patients with relapsed advanced chronic lymphocytic leukemia treated with fludarabine, mitoxantrone hydrochloride, and cyclophosphamide with vs without filgrastim. Secondary * Compare the overall survival, progression-free survival, and quality of remission in these patients. OUTLINE: This is a multicenter, randomized study. Patients are randomized to 1 of 2 treatment arms. * Arm I: Patients receive fludarabine IV on days 1-3, mitoxantrone hydrochloride IV on day 1, and cyclophosphamide IV on days 1-3. * Arm II: Patients receive fludarabine, mitoxantrone hydrochloride, and cyclophosphamide as in arm I and filgrastim (G-CSF) beginning on day 6 and continuing until blood counts recover. In both arms, treatment repeats every 28 days for up to 6 courses in the absence of disease progression or unacceptable toxicity. PROJECTED ACCRUAL: A total of 165 patients will be accrued for this study.