Clofarabine, Cytarabine, and G-CSF in Treating Patients With Relapsed or Refractory Acute Myeloid Leukemia

RATIONALE: Drugs used in chemotherapy, such as clofarabine and cytarabine, work in different ways to stop the growth of cancer cells, either by killing the cells or stopping them from dividing. Colony stimulating factors, such as G-CSF, may increase the number of immune cells found in bone marrow or peripheral blood and may help the immune system recover from the side effects of chemotherapy. PURPOSE: This phase I trial is studying the side effects and best dose of clofarabine to see how well it works when given together with cytarabine and G-CSF in treating patients with relapsed or refractory acute myeloid leukemia