OBJECTIVES: I. Assess the therapeutic activity of interleukin-2 (IL-2) in patients with slowly progressing acute myeloid leukemia with limited bone marrow blastosis either in first relapse after autologous bone marrow or peripheral blood stem cell transplantation, or with more advanced disease (i.e., refractory to chemotherapy regimens). II. Characterize the acute side effects of IL-2 in these patients.