Decitabine, Cytarabine, and Daunorubicin Hydrochloride in Treating Patients With Acute Myeloid Leukemia

Inclusion Criteria: * Diagnosis of acute myeloid leukemia (AML) as defined by the World Health Organization * Molecular AML-risk group is less-than-favorable as defined by any of the following criteria: * The absence of good-risk karyotype t(8;21), inv(16), t(16;16), or t(15;17)identified by metaphase karyotype * The absence of t(8;21), inv(16), t(16;16), or t(15;17) identified by fluorescent in situ hybridization(FISH) * The absence of the corresponding fusion transcripts, AML1-eight-twenty-one corepressor (ETO), core-binding factor, beta subunit (CBFβ)-smooth muscle myosin heavy chain (SMMHC), or progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy (PML)-retinoic acid receptor alpha (RARa), identified by reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) * Patient does not have acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL, French-American-British \[FAB\] M3) * Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) performance status ≤ 2 (Karnofsky ≥ 60%) * Adequate cardiac function as defined by either of the following: * An echocardiogram demonstrating an ejection fraction within normal limits * A multi gated acquisition (MUGA) scan demonstrating an ejection fraction within normal limits * Aspartate aminotransferase (AST)(serum glutamic oxaloacetic transaminase \[SGOT\])/alanine aminotransferase (ALT)(serum glutamate pyruvate transaminase \[SGPT\]) ≤ 2.5 times institutional upper limit of normal (ULN) * Creatinine ≤ 2 mg/dL OR creatinine clearance ≥ 50 mL/min * Total bilirubin ≤ 2 time…