DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS: Previously established diagnosis of acute myelogenous leukemia: Failure to achieve a complete remission with initial induction regimen First relapse within 1 year of initial complete remission Failure to achieve complete remission with one or two courses of reinduction therapy at first relapse Second relapse after no more than two different induction regimens Chemotherapy-related leukemia with unfavorable cytogenetics No active CNS leukemia Not eligible for allogeneic bone marrow transplant from related donor