Two Combination Chemotherapy Regimens in Treating Children With Newly Diagnosed Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia

DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:

* Newly diagnosed acute lymphoblastic leukemia meeting 1 of the following risk definitions:

  * Standard-risk disease:

    * Age 1 to 9 years
    * White blood cell (WBC) \< 50/mm\^3 OR t(12;21) or molecular fusion product -positive disease
    * Good response to prior prednisone (day 8 peripheral blood blast \< 1,000/mm\^3)
    * None of the following subtypes:

      * T-cell
      * t(9;22)
      * t(4;11)
      * t(1;19)
      * Molecular
    * Bone marrow (BM) M1 or M2 on day 15, BM remission (\< 5% blast) on day 33
  * Intermediate-risk disease:

    * Good response to prior prednisone
    * BM M1/M2 on day 15
    * Meets 1 of the following criteria:

      * At least 10 years old
      * WBC \> 50/mm\^3
      * Under 1 year old without Mixed Lineage Leukemia (MLL) gene rearrangement
      * T-cell OR t(1;19) or molecular fusion product positive.
      * Standard-risk patient with BM M3 on day 15
      * If minimal residual disease (MRD) available, day 33 MRD \< 10\^-2
  * High-risk disease, meeting 1 of the following criteria:

    * Poor response to prior prednisone
    * t(9;22) or molecular fusion product (BCR/ABL1), t(4;11) or molecular fusion product (MLL/AF4)
    * Intermediate-risk patient with BM M3 on day 15
    * BM M2/M3 on day 33
    * If MRD available, flow cytometry/polymerase chain reaction (PCR) \> 10% on days 15 OR MRD \> 10\^-2 on day 33 OR MRD (before mini-M phase or M phase) \> 10\^-3 on day 84

PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:

* Not specified

PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:

* See Disease Characteristics