OBJECTIVES: I. Assess the effects of amifostine on the response to remission induction therapy and consolidation with cytarabine and mitoxantrone in patients with poor prognosis acute myeloid leukemia (AML), relapsed AML, and blastic phase chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML). II. Assess the effects of amifostine on the biology of AML and CML cells in vivo in this patient population.