Azacitidine, Cytarabine, and Mitoxantrone Hydrochloride in Treating Patients With High-Risk Acute Myeloid Leukemia

Inclusion Criteria: * Patients must have one of the following disease characteristics: * Therapy-related myeloid neoplasm (t-MN) age \>= 18 years * Patients must have received cytotoxic chemotherapy, radiation, or a drug known to affect the properties of deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) or cell growth, prior to current diagnosis of therapy-related myeloid neoplasm (t-MN); this broad definition is meant to include any prior therapy with chemicals that affect DNA replication, DNA integrity, or DNA structure, or chemicals that alter cell growth; this includes traditional cytotoxic chemotherapy, newer immunologic agents that have been shown to have cytotoxic activities in addition to immunosuppressive functions, and other chemicals; note that patients with primary AML could be diagnosed with a t- MN if morphology/cytogenetic analysis clearly indicated that the second process is not a relapse of the original disease * AML arising from an antecedent hematological disorder age \>= 18 years * De novo AML in patients age \>= 60 years * Relapsed and/or refractory AML \>= 18 years * Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) performance status 0-2 * Female patients of childbearing potential must have a negative serum pregnancy test within 2 weeks prior to enrollment * Male and female patients must use an effective contraceptive method during the study and for at least 6 months after study treatment * Patients must be at least 2 weeks from major surgery, radiation therapy, parti…