Gemtuzumab Ozogamicin and High-Dose Cytarabine in Treating Patients With Relapsed or Refractory Acute Myeloid Leukemia

DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:

* One of the following diagnoses:

  * Primary refractory acute myeloid leukemia (AML)

    * More than 10% blasts in the bone marrow or blood after recovery from 2 courses of standard cytarabine- and anthracycline-based induction chemotherapy
    * No prior remission
  * Relapsed AML

    * More than 10% blasts in the bone marrow or blood after documented remission
    * Prior remission lasted more than 30 days
    * No prior treatment for current relapse
* CD33 expression on at least 20% of leukemia blast cells at initial diagnosis for primary refractory patients or at the time of relapse for all other patients
* No active CNS involvement

PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:

Age:

* 17 and over

Performance status:

* 0-2

Life expectancy:

* Not specified

Hematopoietic:

* See Disease Characteristics
* WBC less than 30,000/mm\^3

Hepatic:

* Bilirubin less than 2.0 mg/dL
* No veno-occlusive disease of the liver
* No chronic liver disease unless due to AML

Renal:

* Not specified

Other:

* Not pregnant or nursing
* Negative pregnancy test
* Fertile patients must use effective contraception
* No active serious infection

PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:

Biologic therapy:

* At least 6 months since prior stem cell transplantation

Chemotherapy:

* See Disease Characteristics
* Prior etoposide and/or thioguanine during remission induction allowed
* Prior hydroxyurea for control of AML allowed
* At least 24 hours since prior hydroxyurea
* At least 3 months since prior high-dose cytarabine (greater than 2 g/m\^2/dose)-containing regimen
* No other concurrent chemotherapy

Endocrine therapy:

* Concurrent steroids for adrenal failure, hypersensitivity reactions, or septic shock allowed
* Concurrent ophthalmic corticosteroids allowed
* Concurrent hormones for nondisease-related conditions (e.g., insulin for diabetes or estrogens or progestins for gynecologic conditions) allowed

Radiotherapy:

* No concurrent radiotherapy

Surgery:

* Not specified

Other:

* More than 2 months since prior cytotoxic therapy