Veliparib and Topotecan With or Without Carboplatin in Treating Patients With Relapsed or Refractory Acute Leukemia, High-Risk Myelodysplasia, or Aggressive Myeloproliferative Disorders

You may be eligible if

• Pathologically confirmed diagnosis of 1 of aggressive MPD or AML out of MPD
• Aggressive phase high-risk myeloproliferative disorders (i.e., polycythemia vera, essential thrombocythemia, or Ph-negative chronic myelogenous leukemia) meeting ≥ 1 of the following criteria:
• * Marrow blasts \> 5%
• * Peripheral blood blasts plus progranulocytes \> 10%
• * New onset or increasing myelofibrosis OR;
• New onset or \> 25% increase in hepatomegaly or splenomegaly
• New onset constitutional symptoms (i.e., fever, weight loss, splenic pain, or bone pain)
• Patients who failed primary induction therapy or relapsed after achieving complete remission are eligible
• No active CNS leukemia; patients with a history of CNS disease must be stable for \> 3 months after treatment and off steroid treatment prior to study enrollment
• Chronic myelomonocytic leukemia meeting either of the following criteria:
• * 5-19% bone marrow blasts (aggressive)
• * At least 20% marrow blasts (transformation)
• ECOG performance status 0-2
• No hyperleukocytosis with \>= 50,000 blasts/uL
• AST, ALT, and alkaline phosphatase =\< 5 times upper limit of normal
• Bilirubin =\< 2.0 mg/dL
• Creatinine normal OR creatinine clearance \>= 60 mL/min
• LVEF \>= 45% by MUGA or ECHO
• Not pregnant or nursing
• Negative pregnancy test
• Fertile patients must use effective contraception during and for 30 days after completion of study therapy
• No active disseminated intravascular coagulation
• No active uncontrolled infection
• Patients with infection that is under active treatment and controlled with antibiotics are eligible
• No other life-threatening illness
• No mental deficits and/or psychiatric history that would preclude giving informed consent or following protocol
• No prior or current seizure disorder or a history of seizure
• No more than 3 prior cytotoxic regimens
• At least 3 weeks since prior cytotoxic chemotherapy
• At least 2 weeks since prior radiotherapy
• At least 4 weeks since prior autologous or allogeneic stem cell transplantation
• No active graft-versus-host disease
• At least 1 week since prior biologic therapies, including hematopoietic growth factors
• At least 24 hours since prior hydroxyurea, steroids, imatinib mesylate, arsenic trioxide, interferon, or other noncytotoxic agents for blast count control
• No prior ABT-888
• No other concurrent chemotherapy, radiotherapy, or immunotherapy
• No concurrent antiretroviral therapy for HIV-positive patients
• No other concurrent investigational or commercial agents or therapies for this cancer