Determine the effects of escalated dose of daunorubicin in induction treatment of adult patients with acute myelogenous leukemia who are younger than 60 years of age.

1. Induction chemotherapy

   • For patients randomized to receive regular dose of Daunorubicin (Arm I) will be given Cytarabine 200 mg/m2/day by continuous iv infusion over 24 hours daily for 7 days along with Daunorubicin 45 mg/m2/day by continuous iv infusion over 24 hours daily for 3 days.
   • For patients randomized to receive higher dose of Daunorubicin (Arm II) will be given Cytarabine 200 mg/m2/day by continuous iv infusion over 24 hours daily for 7 days along with Daunorubicin 90 mg/m2/day by continuous iv infusion over 24 hours daily for 3 days.

2. Reinduction chemotherapy

   • Bone marrow aspiration and biopsy will be performed on day 14 of induction chemotherapy. If the bone marrow is hypoplastic and contains no more than 5% blast cells, further chemotherapy will be deferred and the marrow examination will be repeated at the time of ANC ≥ 1,500/μl and platelets ≥ 100,000/μl in the peripheral blood for the evaluation of complete remission. If more than 5% blast cells persist or if the marrow cellularity in the biopsy specimen exceeds 15%, a course of reinduction chemotherapy will be given.
   • Reinduction chemotherapy consists of Cytarabine 200 mg/m2/day by continuous iv infusion over 24 hours daily for 5 days along with Daunorubicin 45 mg/m2/day by continuous iv infusion over 24 hours daily for 2 days in both arms.

3. Postremission therapy

   • The same postremission therapy will be given to the patients in both arms.
   • Four courses of Cytarabine 3 g/m2 will be administered in a 3-hour iv infusion every 12 hours (twice daily) on days 1, 3, and 5 for a total of six doses per course. After the four courses of Cytarabine therapy, patients will receive two monthly treatments with Cytarabine (200 mg/m2/day by a 3-hour iv infusion for 5 days) and Daunorubicin (45 mg/m2 by rapid iv infusion on the first treatment day).
   • If patients have HLA-matched sibling or unrelated donors, allogeneic stem cell transplantation will be performed.
   • A complete remission will be defined as ≤ 5% blasts in a normocellular bone marrow with ANC ≥ 1,500/μl and platelets ≥ 100,000/μl in the peripheral blood and the disappearance of all blasts in bone marrow.

Inclusion Criteria:

• Patients with newly diagnosed AML or RAEB
• 15 years of age or older, but younger than 60 years of age
• Adequate hepatic and renal function
• Normal cardiac function with LVEF ≥ 50% on MUGA scan or echocardiogram
• Written informed consent

Exclusion Criteria:

• promyelocytic leukemia or chronic myelogenous leukemia
• significant infection
• prior chemotherapy history for leukemia