PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS: Age: 16 and over Performance status: ECOG 0-2 Life expectancy: At least 6 weeks Hematopoietic: See Disease Characteristics No evidence of being platelet transfusion refractory WBC no greater than 20,000/mm3 (leukapheresis, hydroxyurea, or both allowed) Hepatic: Bilirubin no greater than 2.0 mg/dL unless leukemic infiltration to liver SGOT or SGPT less than 2 times upper limit of normal Renal: Creatinine no greater than 2.0 mg/dL Cardiovascular: No evidence of symptomatic coronary atherosclerotic heart disease Other: Not pregnant Negative pregnancy test Fertile patients must use effective contraception No active infection and afebrile Afebrile, stable, and completing antibiotics allowed Febrile not from infection but from blood products allowed