DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:

• Histologically confirmed diagnosis of 1 of the following:

  • Myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) meeting the following criteria:

    • One of the following types by FAB classification:

      • Refractory anemia (RA)
      • RA with ringed sideroblasts (RARS)
      • RA with excess blasts (RAEB)
      • RAEB in transformation
      • Chronic myelomonocytic leukemia
    • Classified according to International Prognostic Scoring System (IPSS) criteria as intermediate-1, intermediate-2, or high-risk disease

    • Patients with RA or RARS and IPSS ≤ 0.5 or low-risk MDS (IPSS < 0.5) must meet ≥ 1 of the following criteria:

      • Symptomatic anemia requiring packed red blood cell transfusions for ≥ 3 months prior to study entry
      • Thrombocytopenia with platelet count ≤ 50,000/mm³ or significant clinical hemorrhage (e.g., gastrointestinal, genitourinary, or gynecologic hemorrhage requiring platelet transfusions; petechiae alone do not constitute sufficient hemorrhage)
      • Neutropenia with absolute neutrophil count < 1,000/mm³ and an infection requiring antibiotics
      • Less than 30% myeloblasts in the bone marrow (phase II)
      • No FAB M6 leukemia (phase II)

  • Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) meeting the following criteria*:

    • De novo AML or AML evolving from MDS associated with intermediate- or poor-risk cytogenetics and meeting 1 of the following criteria:

      • Declined standard chemotherapy
      • Failed or relapsed after 1 prior chemotherapy regimen
    • Stable disease, defined as WBC ≤ 25,000/mm³ and no requirement for hydroxyurea, chemotherapy, or leukapheresis within the past 4 weeks NOTE: *Patients with AML are eligible only for the phase I portion of the study
• MDS cannot be due to leukemic relapse
• No advanced hepatic tumors
• No CNS involvement
• No history of leukemia (phase II)

PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:

• Life expectancy > 2 months
• ECOG performance status (PS) 0-2 OR Karnofsky PS 60-100%
• AST and ALT ≤ 2.5 times upper limit of normal (ULN)
• Bilirubin ≤ 1.5 times ULN (unless active hemolysis present or elevation is secondary to ineffective erythropoiesis)
• Creatinine normal OR creatinine clearance ≥ 60 mL/min
• No other malignancy within the past 3 years
• No history of allergic reaction to compounds of similar chemical or biologic composition to vorinostat (SAHA) or other drugs used in this study

• No uncontrolled concurrent illness, including, but not limited to, the following:

  • Symptomatic congestive heart failure (CHF) except high-output CHF secondary to anemia
  • Unstable angina pectoris
  • Clinically significant cardiac arrhythmia
  • Ongoing or active systemic, bacterial, fungal, or viral infection (must be afebrile for more than 7 days prior to study entry)
  • Psychiatric illness or social situation that would preclude study participation
• No HIV positivity
• Not pregnant or nursing
• Negative pregnancy test
• Fertile patients must use effective contraception during and for 3 months after completion of study treatment

PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:

• See Disease Characteristics
• More than 1 month since prior corticosteroids
• More than 1 month since prior interferon
• More than 1 month since prior retinoids

• More than 1 month since prior hematopoietic growth factors, including any of the following:

  • Filgrastim (G-CSF)
  • Sargramostim (GM-CSF)
  • Epoetin alfa
• At least 2 weeks since prior histone deacetylase inhibitor (e.g., valproic acid)
• More than 4 weeks since prior investigational agent and recovered
• More than 4 weeks since prior chemotherapy (6 weeks for nitrosoureas or mitomycin C) or radiotherapy for this cancer and recovered
• More than 12 months since prior radiotherapy for another cancer and recovered
• More than 12 months since prior chemotherapy for another cancer and recovered

• No prior antimetabolites, including the following:

  • Azacitidine
  • Decitabine
  • Vorinostat (SAHA)
• No other concurrent investigational agents
• No other concurrent anticancer agents or therapies