DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:

• Relapsed or refractory acute myelogenous leukemia OR
• Elderly patients with newly diagnosed acute myelogenous leukemia not eligible for standard therapy OR

• "High-risk" myelodysplastic syndrome, including:

  • Refractory anemia with excess blasts
  • Refractory anemia with excess blasts in transformation
  • Chronic myelomonocytic leukemia OR
• Relapsed or refractory chronic lymphocytic leukemia
• Not eligible for transplant protocols at MSKCC or refuses transplant
• Not eligible for a higher priority protocol (e.g., bone marrow transplantation)

PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:

Age:

• Over 18

Performance status:

• Not specified

Life expectancy:

• Not specified

Hematopoietic:

• Platelet count at least 25,000/mm^3

Hepatic:

• Bilirubin no greater than 2.0 mg/dL
• Transaminase levels less than 3 times upper limit of normal
• PT no greater than 14 seconds
• PTT no greater than 34.6 seconds

Renal:

• Creatinine no greater than 2.0 mg/dL OR
• Creatinine clearance greater than 60 mL/min

Other:

• Not pregnant or nursing
• No history of abnormal bleeding or unexplained bleeding disorders
• No history of peptic ulcer disease
• No salicylate allergy
• No other concurrent active malignancy
• No other concurrent illness that would preclude study assessment to a significant degree

PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:

Biologic therapy:

• See Disease Characteristics

Chemotherapy:

• Not specified

Endocrine therapy:

• Not specified

Radiotherapy:

• Not specified

Surgery:

• Not specified