DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:

• Diagnosis of 1 of the following:
  • Acute myeloid leukemia, except acute promyelocytic leukemia (M3 disease), meeting 1 of the following criteria:
    • Failed to achieve complete remission (CR) after initial induction therapy regimen* NOTE: *Patients receiving 7+3 as induction chemotherapy may be eligible provided the day 14 bone marrow shows a blast index > 0.25 times the initial baseline value. Patients not meeting this criteria may be re-treated with 5+2 re-induction therapy at the discretion of the treating physician
    • First relapse within 1 year of initial CR
    • Failed re-induction therapy at first or second relapse
    • Second or third relapse after completing ≤ 3 different induction therapy regimens
    • Antecedent hematologic disorder (myelodysplastic syndromes [MDS], chronic myeloproliferative disease, or chronic myelomonocytic leukemia [CMML])
    • Received prior chemotherapy for a non-hematologic malignancy
    • High-risk cytogenetic abnormalities (abnormalities of chromosome 5, 7, 8, or 11 OR ≥ 3 karyotypic abnormalities)
  • Acute lymphoblastic leukemia, meeting 1 of the following criteria:
    • Failed to achieve CR after initial induction therapy regimen
    • First relapse within 1 year of initial CR
    • Failed re-induction therapy at first or second relapse
    • Second or third relapse after completing ≤ 3 different induction therapy regimens
  • Chronic myelogenous leukemia, meeting the following criteria:
    • Accelerated OR blast phase (> 10% increase in the blast percentage in bone marrow)
    • Failed prior imatinib mesylate
      • No more than 1 prior chemotherapy regimen in addition to imatinib mesylate
  • CMML, meeting the following criteria:
    • More than 10% increase in blast percentage AND organ infiltration OR impending marrow failure as evidenced by cytopenia
    • No t(5;12) by cytogenetics (unless failed prior trial of imatinib mesylate)
  • High-grade MDS, defined as > 10% blasts on marrow cellularity (refractory anemia with excess blasts in transformation) OR International Prognostic Scoring System MDS prognostic score > 1.5
• Not a candidate for allogenic bone marrow transplantation* from a related sibling donor (i.e., HLA-identical sibling) NOTE: *Patients with prior pulmonary aspergillus and inadequate pulmonary, cardiac, renal, and hepatic functions are not considered candidates for transplantation
• No known standard or potentially curative therapy exists or is capable of extending life expectancy
• No clinical symptoms suggesting CNS leukemia

PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS: Age

• 18 and over

Performance status

• ECOG 0-2

Life expectancy

• At least 60 days

Hematopoietic

• See Disease Characteristics

Hepatic

• Bilirubin ≤ 1.5 times upper limit of normal (unless attributed to underlying disease)

Renal

• Creatinine clearance ≥ 60 mL/min

Cardiovascular

• No New York Heart Association class III-IV heart failure
• No myocardial infarction within the past year
• LVEF ≥ 40% by MUGA
• No cardiac symptoms ≥ grade 2
• No uncontrolled dysrhythmia requiring medication
• No poorly controlled angina
• QTc ≤ 450 msec for men and ≤ 470 msec for women
• No congenital long QT syndrome
• No left bundle branch block
• No ischemic heart disease within the past 6 months
• No history of cardiac toxicity after treatment with anthracyclines (e.g., doxorubicin hydrochloride, daunorubicin hydrochloride, mitoxantrone hydrochloride, bleomycin, or carmustine
• No other significant cardiac disease

Immunologic

• No active uncontrolled infection
• No history of serious allergic reaction to eggs
• No known HIV infection or AIDS (with or without highly active antiretroviral treatment)

Pulmonary

• DLCO > 80%
• No pulmonary symptoms ≥ grade 2
• No symptomatic pulmonary disease requiring medication including any of the following:
  • Dyspnea on or off exertion
  • Paroxysmal nocturnal dyspnea
  • Significant pulmonary disease (e.g., chronic obstruction/restrictive pulmonary disease)
• No oxygen requirement
  • No home oxygen that meets the medicare requirement
• No history of pulmonary toxicity after treatment with anthracyclines (e.g., doxorubicin hydrochloride, daunorubicin hydrochloride, mitoxantrone hydrochloride, bleomycin, or carmustine

Other

• Not pregnant or nursing
• Negative pregnancy test
• Fertile patients must use effective contraception
• No psychosis
• No other serious underlying medical condition that would preclude study participation

PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY: Biologic therapy

• No prior allogeneic or autologous bone marrow transplantation
• No concurrent immunotherapy
• No concurrent biologic agents
• No concurrent gene therapy

Chemotherapy

• See Disease Characteristics
• Recovered from prior chemotherapy
• At least 48 hours since prior hydroxyurea for prevention of leukostasis
• No other concurrent chemotherapy

Endocrine therapy

• At least 48 hours since prior glucocorticoids for prevention of leukostasis

Radiotherapy

• No prior radiotherapy that included the heart in the field (e.g., mantle) or chest
• No concurrent radiotherapy

Surgery

• Not specified

Other

• No concurrent drugs that may cause QTc prolongation
• No concurrent participation in another clinical trial involving a pharmacologic agent for symptom control or therapeutic intent
• No other concurrent investigational drugs or therapy