Inclusion Criteria:

1. Acute myeloid leukemia diagnosed by WHO criteria with one of the following:

1. Primary refractory disease following >= 1 rounds of induction chemotherapy

2. First relapse or higher

2. Age between 18 and 70 years of age

3. Adequate organ function defined as Creatinine <= 1.5 x institutional ULN; AST, ALT,
total bilirubin <= 2 x ULN; Left ventricular ejection fraction of >= 40% by MUGA scan

4. Women of childbearing potential and sexually active males must be willing and able to
use effective contraception while on study

5. Able to provide signed informed consent prior to registration on study

Exclusion Criteria:

1. Acute promyelocytic leukemia (AML with t(15;17)(q22;q11) and variants)

2. Peripheral blood blast count > 20 x 103 /mm3

3. Active CNS involvement with leukemia

4. Previous treatment with MEC or other regimen containing both mitoxantrone and
etoposide

5. Pregnant or nursing

6. Receiving any other investigational agent

7. Colony stimulating factors filgrastim, pegfilgrastim or sargramostim within 2 weeks
of study

8. Less than 2 weeks from the completion of any previous cytotoxic chemotherapy

9. Severe concurrent illness that would limit compliance with study requirements