DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:

• Pathologically confirmed diagnosis of 1 of the following:

  • Acute myeloid leukemia, acute lymphoblastic leukemia, or high-risk myelodysplastic syndromes that has relapsed at least once or is refractory, including primary induction failure

    • No acute progranulocytic leukemia (M3)

  • Aggressive phase high-risk myeloproliferative disorders (i.e., polycythemia vera , essential thrombocythemia, or Ph-negative chronic myelogenous leukemia) meeting ≥ 1 of the following criteria:

    • Marrow blasts > 5%
    • Peripheral blood blasts plus progranulocytes > 10%
    • New onset or increasing myelofibrosis
    • New onset or > 25% increase in hepatomegaly or splenomegaly
    • New onset constitutional symptoms (i.e., fever, weight loss, splenic pain, or bone pain)

  • Chronic myelomonocytic leukemia meeting either of the following criteria:

    • 5-19% bone marrow blasts (aggressive)
    • At least 20% marrow blasts (transformation)
• Patients who failed primary induction therapy or relapsed after achieving complete remission are eligible
• No active CNS leukemia

PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:

• ECOG performance status 0-2
• No hyperleukocytosis with ≥ 50,000 blasts/μL
• AST, ALT, and alkaline phosphatase ≤ 5 times upper limit of normal
• Bilirubin ≤ 2.0 mg/dL (in the absence of Gilbert syndrome, hemolysis, or leukemic infiltration)
• Creatinine normal OR creatinine clearance ≥ 60 mL/min
• LVEF ≥ 45% by MUGA or ECHO
• Not pregnant or nursing
• Negative pregnancy test
• Fertile patients must use effective contraception during and for 30 days after completion of study therapy
• No active disseminated intravascular coagulation

• No active uncontrolled infection

  • Patients with infection that is under active treatment and controlled with antibiotics are eligible
• No other life-threatening illness
• No mental deficits and/or psychiatric history that would preclude giving informed consent or following protocol
• No prior or current seizure disorder

PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:

• No more than 3 prior cytotoxic regimens
• At least 3 weeks since prior cytotoxic chemotherapy
• At least 2 weeks since prior radiotherapy

• At least 4 weeks since prior autologous or allogeneic stem cell transplantation

  • No active graft-versus-host disease
• At least 1 week since prior biologic therapies, including hematopoietic growth factors
• At least 24 hours since prior hydroxyurea, steroids, imatinib mesylate, arsenic trioxide, interferon, or other noncytotoxic agents for blast count control
• No prior ABT-888
• No other concurrent chemotherapy, radiotherapy, or immunotherapy
• No concurrent antiretroviral therapy for HIV-positive patients
• No other concurrent investigational or commercial agents or therapies for this cancer