Response-Based Chemotherapy in Treating Newly Diagnosed Acute Myeloid Leukemia or Myelodysplastic Syndrome in Younger Patients With Down Syndrome

PRIMARY OBJECTIVES: I. To determine the 2-year event-free-survival (EFS) for children with standard risk Down syndrome (DS) acute myeloid leukemia (AML) (minimal residual disease \[MRD\]-negative after one cycle of induction therapy) after elimination of high dose (HD) Ara-C (cytarabine) from the treatment regimen. II. To determine the 2-year EFS for children with high risk DS AML (MRD-positive after one cycle of induction therapy) after intensification of treatment equivalent to that used for high risk AML in children without DS. EXPLORATORY OBJECTIVES: I. To compare the feasibility and analytical characteristics of flow cytometry, polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and targeted error-corrected sequencing of GATA binding protein 1 (globin transcription factor 1) (GATA1) mutations as methods to detect MRD in DS AML. II. To establish a DS AML cell bank of viably frozen bone marrow samples collected at the end of induction and corresponding non-tumor deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) samples collected at end of Induction 1. OUTLINE: INDUCTION I: Patients receive cytarabine intrathecally (IT) on day 1 and intravenously (IV) continuously over 96 hours, daunorubicin hydrochloride IV over 1-15 minutes, and thioguanine orally (PO) twice daily (BID) on days 1-4. Induction I continues for a minimum of 28 days. Patients are assigned to 1 of 2 treatment arms based on their MRD status after completion of Induction I. ARM A (STANDARD RISK) (Closed to accrual and treatment with amendment #4A 01/07/2019): INDUCTION II: Patients receive cytarabine IV continuously over 96 hours, daunorubicin hydrochloride IV over 1-15 minutes, and thioguanine PO BID on days 1-4. Induction II continues for a minimum of 28 days. INDUCTION III: Patients receive cytarabine, daunorubicin hydrochloride, and thioguanine as in Induction II. Induction III continues for a minimum of 28 days. INTENSIFICATION I: Patients receive cytarabine IV continuously over 168 hours on days 1-7 and etoposide IV over 60-120 minutes on days 1-3. Intensification I continues for a minimum of 28 days. INTENSIFICATION II: Patients receive cytarabine and etoposide as in Intensification I. Intensification II continues for a minimum of 28 days. ARM B (HIGH RISK): INDUCTION II: Patients receive high dose cytarabine IV over 1-3 hours every 12 (Q12) hours on days 1-4 and mitoxantrone hydrochloride IV over 15-30 minutes on days 3-6. Induction II continues for a minimum of 28 days. INTENSIFICATION I: Patients receive high dose cytarabine IV over 1-3 hours Q12 hours and etoposide IV over 90-120 minutes on days 1-5. Intensification I continues for a minimum of 28 days. INTENSIFICATION II: Patients receive high dose cytarabine IV over 3 hours Q12 hours on days 1, 2, 8, and 9. Patients also receive asparaginase or asparaginase Erwinia chrysanthemi (E. carotovora) intramuscularly (IM) or IV over 30 minutes on days 2 and 9. Intensification II continues for a minimum of 28 days. After completion of study treatment, patients are followed up at 1 month, monthly for 12 months, every 3 months for 12 months, every 6 months for 3 years, annually for 10 years, and in case of relapse.