Cytarabine and Daunorubicin Hydrochloride or Idarubicin and Cytarabine With or Without Vorinostat in Treating Younger Patients With Previously Untreated Acute Myeloid Leukemia

PRIMARY OBJECTIVES: I. To compare event-free survival (EFS) between patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) who receive standard 7+3 (cytarabine and daunorubicin hydrochloride) or idarubicin and high-dose cytarabine (IA) to patients who receive IA + vorinostat. (Chemotherapy) II. To determine whether it is possible to get 60% or more of adults with high-risk AML (by cytogenetics) in first complete remission (CR1) to allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT). (Transplant) SECONDARY OBJECTIVES: I. To estimate the frequency and severity of toxicities of the three regimens in this patient population. (Chemotherapy) II. To estimate disease-free survival (DFS) among patients who receive transplant. (Transplant) III. To compare event-free survival (EFS) between patients who receive standard 7 + 3 to patients who receive IA. (Chemotherapy) IV. To estimate the prevalence of the mutations nucleophosmin (nucleolar phosphoprotein B23, numatrin) (NPM1), isocitrate dehydrogenase 1 (NADP+), soluble (IDH1), isocitrate dehydrogenase 2 (NADP+), mitochondrial (IDH2), tet methylcytosine dioxygenase 2 (TET2) and deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) (cytosine-5-)-methyltransferase 3 alpha (DNMT3A) and the cytogenetic risk distribution of patients on this study and to evaluate the association between these and overall survival (OS), event-free survival (EFS), disease-free survival (DFS), and complete remission rate. (Chemotherapy/Translational Medicine) V. To compare the complete response rate, disease-free survival (DFS), and overall survival (OS) between patients who receive standard 7+3 therapy or IA to patients who receive IA + vorinostat. (Chemotherapy) TERTIARY OBJECTIVES: I. Future planned studies will include testing of histone H3 acetylation, induction of gamma H2A histone family, member X (H2AX), analysis of reactive oxygen species (ROS) resistance and DNA methylation profiles. (Chemotherapy/Translational Medicine) OUTLINE: Patients are randomized to 1 of 3 treatment arms. INDUCTION/RE-INDUCTION: ARM I: Patients receive standard dose cytarabine intravenously (IV) continuously on days 1-7 and daunorubicin hydrochloride IV on days 1-3. Patients with residual blasts may receive re-induction treatment beginning on day 15. Patients achieving complete remission (CR) or complete remission with incomplete platelet recover (CRi) may proceed to allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplant (HSCT) or to consolidation therapy. ARM II: Patients receive high dose cytarabine IV continuously on days 1-4 and idarubicin IV over 15 minutes on days 1-3. Patients with residual blasts may receive re-induction treatment beginning on day 28. Patients achieving CR or CRi may proceed to allogeneic HSCT or to consolidation therapy. ARM III: Patients receive vorinostat orally (PO) thrice daily (TID) on days 1-3, high-dose cytarabine IV continuously on days 4-7, and idarubicin IV over 15 minutes on days 4-6. Patients with residual blasts may receive re-induction treatment beginning on day 28. Patients achieving CR or CRi may proceed to allogeneic HSCT or to consolidation therapy. (Permanently closed to accrual, effective 6/2/2015) Patient previously randomized to Arm III may continue treatment without vorinostat. CONSOLIDATION: ARM I: Patients receive cytarabine IV over 3 hours every 12 hours on days 1, 3, and 5. ARM II: Patients receive cytarabine IV continuously on days 1-3 and idarubicin IV over 15 minutes on days 1-2. ARM III: Patients receive vorinostat PO TID on days 1-3, cytarabine IV continuously on days 4-6, and idarubicin IV over 15 minutes on days 4-5. (Permanently closed to accrual, effective 6/2/2015) Patient previously randomized to Arm III may continue treatment with or without vorinostat. In all arms, treatment repeats every 28 days for 4 courses or until transplant in the absence of disease progression or unacceptable toxicity. TRANSPLANT: Patients may undergo an allogeneic transplant after induction therapy or consolidation therapy. After completion of study treatment, patients are followed up every 3 months for 1 year, every 6 months for 2 years, and then annually for 2 years.