- Patients receive induction therapy comprising oral hydroxyurea (HU) until WBC falls below 10,000/mm^3 and interferon alfa (IFN-A) subcutaneously (SC) daily beginning after WBC reduction and continuing in order to maintain WBC between 2,000-4,000/mm^3 and platelet count greater than 50,000/mm^3. If WBC is 10,000/mm^3 or greater on IFN-A alone, then HU must be restarted. Patients with disease progression and no anti-IFN antibody also receive cytarabine (ARA-C) SC for 15 days a months. Patients who develop disease progression while receiving ARA-C and IFN-A are taken off study.