DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:

• Newly diagnosed T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia with greater than 25% bone marrow blasts (M3)

  • High-risk disease, defined as meeting at least 1 of the following criteria:

    • WBC at least 50,000/mm^3
    • Age 10 years or over
• Patients with WBC at least 25,000/mm^3 AND at least 50% peripheral blood blasts are eligible provided bone marrow aspiration was contraindicated (e.g., patient was not eligible for anesthesia or sedation due to respiratory distress secondary to anterior mediastinal mass)
• Concurrent registration to POG 9900 within the past 8 days required

PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:

Age:

• 1 to 21

Performance status:

• Karnofsky 50-100% (over 10 years of age) OR
• Lansky 50-100% (10 years of age and under)

Life expectancy:

• Not specified

Hematopoietic:

• See Disease Characteristics

Hepatic:

• Bilirubin no greater than 1.5 mg/dL
• SGPT less than 5 times normal

Renal:

• Creatinine normal OR
• Creatinine clearance or glomerular filtration rate at least 60 mL/min

Other:

• No pre-existing neuropathy of grade 2 or worse unless due to leukemic infiltration
• Not pregnant or nursing
• Fertile patients must use effective contraception

PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:

Biologic therapy:

• No prior biologic therapy

Chemotherapy:

• No more than 72 hours since prior intrathecal cytarabine
• No other prior chemotherapy

Endocrine therapy:

• Prior steroids allowed
• No chronic steroid treatment for another disease

Radiotherapy:

• Prior emergency radiotherapy to mediastinum for severe respiratory distress allowed

Surgery:

• Not specified