DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:

• Histologically confirmed acute lymphoblastic or acute myeloid leukemia

  • M3 bone marrow relapse required
• Refractory to conventional chemotherapy
• No extramedullary disease at relapse

PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:

Age:

• 21 and under at time of initial diagnosis

Performance status:

• ECOG 0-2

Life expectancy:

• At least 2 months

Hematopoietic:

• Not specified

Hepatic:

• Bilirubin no greater than 1.5 mg/dL
• AST and ALT no greater than 1.5 times normal
• Alkaline phosphatase no greater than 2.5 times normal

Renal:

• Creatinine no greater than 1.5 times normal OR
• Creatinine clearance or radioisotope glomerular filtration rate at least 70 mL/min

Other:

• Not pregnant or nursing
• Negative pregnancy test
• Fertile patients must use effective contraception

PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:

Biologic therapy:

• At least 7 days since prior biologic therapy and recovered
• At least 6 months since prior allogeneic stem cell transplantation
• No concurrent immunomodulating agents during first 2 courses of therapy
• No concurrent routine filgrastim (G-CSF)

Chemotherapy:

• See Disease Characteristics
• At least 2 weeks since prior chemotherapy (4 weeks for nitrosoureas) and recovered
• No prior paclitaxel or docetaxel
• No other concurrent chemotherapy during first 2 courses of therapy

Endocrine therapy:

• No concurrent corticosteroid therapy except dexamethasone, low-dose hydrocortisone to treat allergic reactions, or treatment for adrenal crisis

Radiotherapy:

• Recovered from prior radiotherapy
• At least 2 weeks since prior palliative local radiotherapy
• At least 6 months since prior craniospinal radiotherapy or radiotherapy to at least 50% of the pelvis
• At least 6 weeks since prior substantial bone marrow radiotherapy
• No concurrent radiotherapy

Surgery:

• Not specified