DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:

• Histologically confirmed acute myeloid leukemia (AML), including the following subtypes:

  • M0
  • M1
  • M2
  • M4
  • M5
  • M6
  • M7

• Newly diagnosed de novo or secondary AML with ≥ 1 of the following poor-risk features:

  • Antecedent hematologic disorder (e.g., myelodysplasia-related AML or prior myeloproliferative disorder)
  • Treatment-related AML
  • AML with trilineage dysplasia

  • AML with adverse cytogenetics, including any of the following:

    • -5/-5q
    • -7/-7q
    • Abnormal 3q, 9q, 11q, 20q, 21q, or 17p
    • t(6;9)
    • t(9;22)
    • Trisomy 8
    • Trisomy 13
    • Complex karyotypes (i.e., ≥ 3 unrelated abnormalities)
• No acute promyelocytic leukemia (M3 AML)

• No hyperleukocytosis (≥ 50,000 blasts/µL)

  • Leukophoresis or hydroxyurea is allowed immediately prior to study drug administration for cytoreduction and provided it is stopped 24 hours before first dose of flavopiridol
• No active CNS leukemia

PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:

• ECOG performance status 0-2
• Creatinine ≤ 2.0 mg/dL
• AST and ALT ≤ 5 times upper limit of normal
• Bilirubin ≤ 2.0 mg/dL
• LVEF ≥ 45 %
• No active, uncontrolled infection (actively treated and antibiotic-controlled infection allowed)
• No other life-threatening illness
• No mental deficiencies or psychiatric disorder that would preclude study participation
• Not pregnant or nursing
• Negative pregnancy test
• Fertile patients must use effective contraception

PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:

• Prior chemotherapy or bone marrow/stem cell transplant for a non-AML malignancy allowed
• No prior treatment except hydroxyurea alone or noncytotoxic therapies for myelodysplastic syndromes or myeloproliferative disorders (e.g., thalidomide, lenidomide, interferon, cytokines, low-dose azacitidine, low-dose cyclophosphamide, or arsenic trioxide)
• No prior flavopiridol
• No other concurrent chemotherapy, radiotherapy, or immunotherapy
• No other concurrent anticancer agents or therapies