• Feasibility of intensification [ Designated as safety issue: No ]
  
• Event-free survival [ Designated as safety issue: No ]
  
• Comparison of event-free survival rates in infants with and without leukemic blasts translocations [ Designated as safety issue: No ]
  

• Correlation of minimal residual disease at completion of induction, beginning of continuation, and at completion of therapy with patient outcome [ Designated as safety issue: No ]
  
• Clinical prognostic features associated with outcome [ Designated as safety issue: No ]
  
• Correlation of biologic characteristics of leukemia cells at diagnosis with outcome [ Designated as safety issue: No ]
  
• Patterns of gene expression [ Designated as safety issue: No ]
  

DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:

• Newly diagnosed acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) or acute undifferentiated leukemia

  • No infants less than 36 weeks' gestation
  • CNS or testicular disease permitted
• No B-cell ALL or acute myeloid leukemia

• Previously untreated except for the following:

  • Steroid treatment within 48 hours of diagnosis allowed with physical examination and differential CBC immediately prior to beginning steroids
• Concurrent registration on protocol POG-9900 (ALL classification study) required
• Patients registered on POG-9407 are eligible for the pharmacokinetic part of the study

PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:

Age:

• Under 1 at diagnosis

Performance status:

• Not specified

Life expectancy:

• Not specified

Hematopoietic:

• Not specified

Hepatic:

• Not specified

Renal:

• Not specified

Other:

• No uncontrolled infection
• Adequate major organ function

PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:

Biologic therapy:

• Not specified

Chemotherapy:

• Not specified

Endocrine therapy:

• See Disease Characteristics
• No concurrent chronic steroid treatment

Radiotherapy:

• Not specified

Surgery:

• Not specified

Other:

• No other concurrent anticancer therapy