- Patients who fail primary induction therapy or relapse after achieving complete remission (CR) are eligible if they are > 3 weeks off cytotoxic chemotherapy and > 2 weeks off radiation therapy; patients must be off biologic therapies including hematopoietic growth factors > 1 week; if using hydroxyurea (HU), steroids, or other non-cytotoxics for blast count control, patient must be off for > 24 hrs before starting protocol therapy; patients must have recovered from all acute toxicities from any previous therapy