Conditions: Adult Acute Basophilic Leukemia Adult Acute Eosinophilic Leukemia Adult Acute Megakaryoblastic Leukemia (M7) Adult Acute Minimally Differentiated Myeloid Leukemia (M0) Adult Acute Monoblastic Leukemia (M5a) Adult Acute Monocytic Leukemia (M5b) Adult Acute Myeloblastic Leukemia With Maturation (M2) Adult Acute Myeloblastic Leukemia Without Maturation (M1) Adult Acute Myeloid Leukemia With 11q23 (MLL) Abnormalities Adult Acute Myeloid Leukemia With Inv(16)(p13;q22) Adult Acute Myeloid Leukemia With t(16;16)(p13;q22) Adult Acute Myeloid Leukemia With t(8;21)(q22;q22) Adult Acute Myelomonocytic Leukemia (M4) Adult Erythroleukemia (M6a) Adult Pure Erythroid Leukemia (M6b) Secondary Acute Myeloid Leukemia Untreated Adult Acute Myeloid Leukemia
Allocation: NA | Intervention model: SINGLE_GROUP
Enrollment: 45
Healthy volunteers: no

Brief summary:
This phase II trial is studying the side effects and how well giving alvocidib together with cytarabine and mitoxantrone works in treating patients with newly diagnosed acute myeloid leukemia. Drugs used in chemotherapy, such as alvocidib, cytarabine, and mitoxantrone, work in different ways to stop the growth of cancer cells, either by killing the cells or by stopping them from dividing. Giving more than one drug (combination chemotherapy) may kill more cancer cells.

Detailed description:
PRIMARY OBJECTIVES:

I. To determine the efficacy and toxicities of flavopiridol (alvocidib) followed by ara-C and mitoxantrone in adults with newly diagnosed acute myelogenous leukemia (AML) with poor-risk features.

II. To determine the disease free and overall survival of patients exhibiting a response to treatment with flavopiridol followed by ara-C and mitoxantrone.

OUTLINE:

Patients receive alvocidib IV over 1 hour on days 1-3, cytarabine IV continuously over 72 hours on days 6-8, and mitoxantrone hydrochloride IV over 1-2 hours on day 9. Beginning 35-63 days after completion of course 1, patients achieving complete or partial remission may receive a second course of treatment as above.

Patients age 50 and over with "core binding factor" acute myeloid leukemia (AML) (e.g., t\[8;21\], inv\[16\], or t\[16;16\]) achieving a complete remission after course 1 of treatment may receive 3-4 courses of consolidation therapy comprising high-dose cytarabine at the discretion of the investigator.

After completion of study treatment, patients are followed periodically.

Arms:
arm 1: Patients receive alvocidib IV over 1 hour on days 1-3, cytarabine IV continuously over 72 hours on days 6-8, and mitoxantrone hydrochloride IV over 1-2 hours on day 9. Beginning 35-63 days after completion of course 1, patients achieving complete or partial remission may receive a second course of treatment as above.

Patients age 50 and over with "core binding factor" acute myeloid leukemia (AML) (e.g., t\[8;21\], inv\[16\], or t\[16;16\]) achieving a complete remission after course 1 of treatment may receive 3-4 courses of consolidation therapy comprising high-dose cytarabine at the discretion of the investigator.

Interventions: intervention 1: alvocidib intervention 2: cytarabine intervention 3: mitoxantrone hydrochloride
Intervention descriptions: intervention 1: Given IV intervention 2: Given IV intervention 3: Given IV

Protocol document: