Patients with less than 50% response after induction therapy or incomplete remission after 4-8 weeks of consolidation therapy, or who have a recurrence of disease are treated with the "VANDA" regimen consisting of dexamethasone on days 1-5; cytarabine over 3 hours twice a day on days 1 and 2; mitoxantrone IV over 1 hour on days 3 and 4; etoposide IV over 1 hour on days 3-5; and asparaginase IV over 1 hour or IM on days 7, 9, 11, and 13. Patients also receive triple intrathecal therapy (methotrexate, cytarabine, and methylprednisolone) on day 5.