Higher or Lower Dose Cladribine, Cytarabine, and Mitoxantrone in Treating Medically Less Fit Patients With Newly Diagnosed Acute Myeloid Leukemia or Myeloid Neoplasm

This randomized pilot trial studies how well higher or lower dose cladribine, cytarabine, and mitoxantrone work in treating medically less fit patients with newly diagnosed acute myeloid leukemia or myeloid neoplasm. Drugs used in chemotherapy, such as cladribine, cytarabine, and mitoxantrone, work in different ways to stop the growth of cancer cells, either by killing the cells, by stopping them from dividing, or by stopping them from spreading. It is not yet known whether giving cladribine, cytarabine, and mitoxantrone at higher or lower dose may work better in treating patients with newly diagnosed acute myeloid leukemia.