Clinical Research Directory

Inclusion Criteria: * Patients must have morphologically confirmed newly diagnosed acute myelogenous leukemia (AML) with blood or bone marrow disease; patients with only extramedullary disease in the absence of bone marrow or blood involvement are eligible; note: this protocol uses World Health Organization (WHO) diagnostic criteria for AML; patients with acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL, French-American-British Classification \[FAB\], M3) or blastic transformation of chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML) are not eligible * Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) performance status 0-3 * Patients with ECHO EF \>= 45% within 28 days prior to registration * Women of child-bearing potential and men must agree to use adequate contraception (hormonal or barrier method of birth control; abstinence) prior to study entry and for the duration of study participation; should a woman become pregnant or suspect she is pregnant while participating in this study, she should inform her treating physician immediately * Ability to understand and the willingness to sign an Institutional Review Board (IRB)-approved informed consent document Exclusion Criteria: * Patients who have received prior induction chemotherapy for AML or myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS); temporary prior measures such as apheresis or hydroxyurea are allowed; patients who have received a limited and short-term exposure of ATRA (all trans retinoic acid) while AML-M3 (acute promyelocytic leukemia) was being ruled out, and which has been discontinued, will be eligible * Patients receiving any other investigational agents * Patients with prolonged corrected QT (QTc) interval (\> 500 msec) determined by electrocardiogram (EKG) within 28 days prior to registration * Patients not suitable for cardiac MRI; contraindications include: * Intracranial metal, pacemakers, defibrillators, functioning neurostimulator devices, or other implanted electronic devices * Ferromagnetic cerebral aneurysm clips, or other intraorbital/intracranial metal * Allergy to gadolinium or other severe drug allergies * Claustrophobia * Congestive heart failure (New York Heart Association \[NYHA\] class III or IV) * Significant valvular disease, or significant pulmonary disease requiring supplemental oxygen therapy * History of allergic reactions attributed to compounds of similar chemical or biologic composition to daunorubicin or cytarabine * Patients with documented central nervous system (CNS) involvement * Patients who are known to be human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) positive (+) may be eligible providing they meet all of the following additional criteria within 28 days prior to registration: * CD4 cells \>= 500/mm\^3 * Viral load of \< 50 copies HIV messenger ribonucleic acid (mRNA)/mm\^3 if on combination antiretroviral therapy (cART) or \< 25,000 copies HIV mRNA if not on cART * No zidovudine or stavudine as part of cART Patients who are HIV+ and do not meet all of these criteria are not eligible for this study * Patients with other uncontrolled intercurrent illness or psychiatric illness/social situations that would limit compliance with study requirements * Pregnant women are excluded from this study; breastfeeding should be discontinued prior to beginning treatment