Nilotinib and Combination Chemotherapy in Treating Patients With Newly Diagnosed Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia

DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:

* Newly diagnosed acute lymphoblastic leukemia or acute mixed lineage leukemia

  * Positive for Bcr-Abl fusion transcript (Philadelphia chromosome-positive disease) by RT-PCR

PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:

* ECOG performance status 0-2
* Total bilirubin \< 2 mg/dL
* SGOT \< 3 times upper limit of normal (ULN)
* Alkaline phosphatase ≤ 2.5 times ULN (unless considered tumor-related)
* Creatinine \< 2.0 mg/dL ULN
* Serum amylase and lipase ≤ 1.5 times ULN
* Potassium, magnesium, and phosphorus normal (supplementation allowed)
* Not pregnant or nursing
* Negative pregnancy test
* Fertile patients must use effective contraception
* No rare hereditary problems with galactose intolerance, severe lactase deficiency, or glucose-galactose malabsorption
* No known sensitivity to any of the study drugs
* No severe medical condition that, in the opinion of the investigator, would preclude study participation
* No impaired cardiac function, including any of the following:

  * LVEF \< 45% or below the lower limit of normal by ECHO
  * Long QT syndrome or known family history of long QT syndrome
  * Clinically significant resting bradycardia (\< 50 beats per minute)
  * QTc \> 450 msec on baseline ECG (using the QTcF formula)
  * Myocardial infarction within the past 12 months
  * Other clinically significant heart disease, including any of the following:

    * Unstable angina
    * Congestive heart failure
    * Uncontrolled hypertension
    * Uncontrolled arrhythmias
* No other primary malignant disease requiring systemic treatment
* No acute or chronic liver, pancreatic, or severe renal disease
* No other severe and/or life-threatening medical disease
* No history of significant congenital or acquired bleeding disorder unrelated to cancer
* No impairment of gastrointestinal (GI) function or GI disease that may significantly alter the absorption of study drug
* No history of non-compliance

PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:

* More than 30 days since prior investigational agents
* No concurrent medications that have the potential to prolong the QTc interval
* No concurrent strong CYP3A4 inhibitors
* No concurrent therapeutic coumarin derivatives