Clofarabine and Temsirolimus in Treating Older Patients With Relapsed or Refractory Acute Myeloid Leukemia

DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS: * Cytologically confirmed acute myeloid leukemia (AML) meeting the following criteria: * At least 20% of blasts in the bone marrow * AML in first relapse OR refractory to no more than one prior combination of intensive chemotherapy induction regimen * No acute promyelocytic leukemia * No blast transformation of chronic myeloid leukemia or other myeloproliferative disorders * No active CNS leukemia PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS: * WHO performance status 0-2 * Life expectancy ≥ 4 weeks * Serum total bilirubin ≤ 1.5 times upper limit of normal (ULN)\* * AST and ALT ≤ 2.5 times ULN\* * Serum creatinine ≤ 1.0 mg/dL\* OR estimated glomerular filtration rate \> 60 mL/min * No active uncontrolled systemic infection * No concurrent active malignancy * No HIV positivity * No severe concurrent medical condition or psychiatric disorder that would preclude study participation NOTE: \*Unless due to organ leukemic involvement PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY: * See Disease Characteristics * More than 2 weeks since prior myelosuppressive chemotherapy * At least 48 hours since prior hydroxyurea * No prior clofarabine or temsirolimus * No prior allogeneic stem cell transplantation * No investigational drug within the past 30 days