RATIONALE: Monoclonal antibodies can locate cancer cells and either kill them or deliver cancer-killing substances to them without harming normal cells. Drugs used in chemotherapy use different ways to stop cancer cells from dividing so they stop growing or die. Bone marrow transplantation may be able to replace immune cells that were destroyed by chemotherapy used to kill cancer cells.

PURPOSE: Phase II trial to study the effectiveness of monoclonal antibody therapy plus combination chemotherapy and bone marrow transplantation in treating patients who have acute myelogenous leukemia.

OBJECTIVES:

• Determine the disease-free and overall survival of patients with acute myelogenous leukemia in first remission treated with busulfan and cyclophosphamide plus iodine I 131 monoclonal antibody BC8 followed by HLA identical related bone marrow transplantation.
• Determine the toxicity of this regimen in these patients.

OUTLINE: This is a multicenter study.

Patients receive a test dose of iodine I 131 monoclonal antibody BC8 (I131 MOAB BC8) IV, then about 2 weeks later, on day -13, a therapeutic dose of I131 MOAB BC8 IV is administered. Patients then receive oral busulfan every 6 hours on days -7 to -4 (16 doses) and cyclophosphamide IV on days -3 and -2. Donor bone marrow is infused on day 0.

Patients are followed at 6, 9, and 12 months, then every 6 months for 1 year, then annually thereafter.

PROJECTED ACCRUAL: A total of 30 patients will be accrued for this study.

• Drug: busulfan
• Drug: cyclophosphamide
• Procedure: allogeneic bone marrow transplantation
• Radiation: iodine I 131 monoclonal antibody BC8

DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:

• Acute myelogenous leukemia in first remission
• No prior or concurrent CNS involvement by leukemia
• Genotypically or phenotypically HLA matched family member available as donor

PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:

Age

• 16 to 55

Performance status

• Not specified

Life expectancy

• More than 60 days

Hematopoietic

• Not specified

Hepatic

• Bilirubin less than 1.5 mg/dL
• AST no greater than 1.5 times upper limit of normal
• No current hepatitis
• No high risk for developing veno-occlusive disease of the liver

Renal

• Creatinine less than 2.0 mg/dL

Other

• HIV negative
• No major infection
• No perceived inability to tolerate study procedures, particularly treatment in radiation isolation
• No circulating antibody to mouse immunoglobulin
• Not pregnant or nursing
• Fertile patients must use effective contraception

PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:

Biologic therapy

• Not specified

Chemotherapy

• Not specified

Endocrine therapy

• Not specified

Radiotherapy

• No prior radiotherapy to maximum tolerated levels to any normal organ

Surgery

• Not specified