PRIMARY OBJECTIVES:~I. To determine the complete response rates of combination nilotinib, cytarabine, and daunorubicin (daunorubicin hydrochloride) in patients newly diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) and v-kit Hardy-Zuckerman 4 feline sarcoma viral oncogene homolog (Kit) overexpression.~SECONDARY OBJECTIVES:~I. Determine the 2-year overall survival (OS) and disease-free survival (DFS) rates.~II. Determine the complete response duration in patients treated with this regimen.~III. Assess the safety and toxicity of this regimen based on National Cancer Institute (NCI) Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events (CTCAE) version 4.0.~TERTIARY OBJECTIVES:~I. Assess the prognostic and predictive factors (Kit mutation/expression level, fms-related tyrosine kinase 3 [Flt3] mutation) for patients treated with this regimen.~II. Assess the patterns of molecular response and relapse for Kit. III. Assess the effect on minimal residual disease (MRD) by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) or flow cytometry.~OUTLINE:~INDUCTION THERAPY: Patients receive daunorubicin hydrochloride intravenously (IV) over 10 minutes on days 1-3, cytarabine IV continuously on days 1-7, and nilotinib orally (PO) twice daily (BID) on days 4-14. Patients achieving complete remission (CR) or complete remission with incomplete blood count recovery (CRi) proceed to consolidation therapy. Patients not achieving a significant decrease in bone marrow recovery or CR/CRi upon bone marrow recovery receive another course of induction therapy.~CONSOLIDATION THERAPY: Patients receive cytarabine IV every 12 hours on days 1, 3, and 5, and nilotinib PO BID on days 4-14. Treatment repeats every 28 days for 4 courses in the absence of disease progression or unacceptable toxicity. Patients achieving CR or CRi proceed to maintenance therapy.~MAINTENANCE THERAPY: Patients receive nilotinib PO BID on days 1-84. Treatment repeats every 84 days for up to 8 courses in the absence of disease progression or unacceptable toxicity.~After completion of study treatment, patients are followed up every 6 months for up to 3 years.
This phase II trial studies how well daunorubicin hydrochloride, cytarabine, and nilotinib work in treating patients newly diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia. Drugs used in chemotherapy, such as daunorubicin hydrochloride and cytarabine, work in different ways to stop the growth of cancer cells, either by killing the cells, by stopping them from dividing, or by stopping them from spreading. Nilotinib may stop the growth of cancer cells by blocking some of the enzymes needed for cell growth. Giving daunorubicin hydrochloride with cytarabine and nilotinib may kill more cancer cells.