Chemotherapy With or Without Imatinib and/or Peripheral Stem Cell Transplant in Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia

You may be eligible if

• DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:
• Diagnosis of acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) meeting the following criteria:
• * Negative myeloperoxidase stain
• * Phenotype T (T-ALL) or B (B-ALL)
• * No mature B-ALL (FAB L3, serum immunoglobulin-positive, terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-negative)
• PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:
• Creatinine ≤ 2.5 mg/dL (after adequate hydration)
• SGOT and SGPT ≤ 3 times upper limit of normal
• LVEF ≥ 50%
• No severe psychiatric disorders
• No other concurrent malignant disease
• No presence of documented infections not responding to antibiotic and/or antifungal therapy
• Not pregnant
• PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:
• No prior steroids
• No prior antiblastic chemotherapy
• No other concurrent chemotherapy or radiotherapy