A Randomized Phase III Study of Standard Cytarabine Plus Daunorubicin (7+3) Therapy or Idarubicin With High Dose Cytarabine (IA) Versus IA With Vorinostat (NSC-701852) (IA+V) in Younger Patients With Previously Untreated Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML)

Inclusion Criteria:

- STEP 1 - INDUCTION/RE-INDUCTION

- Patients must have morphologically confirmed newly diagnosed acute myelogenous
leukemia (AML); Note: this protocol uses World Health Organization (WHO) diagnostic
criteria for AML; patients with acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL,
French-American-British [FAB], M3) or blastic transformation of chronic myelogenous
leukemia (CML) are not eligible; patients with known core binding factor (CBF) or
fms-like tyrosine kinase 3 (FLT3) related leukemias are eligible for this study, but
should preferentially be placed on National Cancer Institute (NCI)-sponsored
protocols specific for these subtypes, if available

- Patients must have diagnostic/pre-treatment specimens obtained within 28 days prior
to registration submitted to the site's local Clinical Laboratory Improvement
Amendments (CIA)-approved laboratory for cytogenetic (and fluorescent in situ
hybridization [FISH] if possible) analysis to determine risk status; high risk
classification will be defined as del(5q)/-5, del(7q)/-7, abn3q26 [inv(3)/t(3;3)],
11q23 rearrangement [except t(9;11)], 17p-, t(6;9), t(9;22), complex (at least 3
unrelated abnormalities [abn]), and monosomal karyotype (either loss of two different
chromosomes or loss of one chromosome along with a structural chromosome abnormality
other than add, ring and mar); karyograms and cytogenetics/FISH analysis reports must
be submitted for discipline review

- Patients must be chemo-naïve, i.e., not have received any prior Induction
chemotherapy for AML or myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS); temporary prior measures such
as apheresis or hydroxyurea are allowed; prior anthracycline therapy is allowed, but
must not exceed a dose of 200 mg/m^2 daunorubicin or equivalent; patients with prior
history of MDS must not have received azacitidine, decitabine, lenalidomide or
vorinostat

- Patients must have peripheral blood and bone marrow aspirate specimens obtained
within 28 days prior to registration submitted for translational medicine; with
patient consent, residuals will be banked for future research

- Patients must have Zubrod performance status =< 3

- Patients must have either echocardiogram (ECHO) or multi gated acquisition scan
(MUGA) with ejection fraction >= 45% within 28 days prior to registration

- Patients must not have prolonged QTc interval (> 500 msec) determined by
electrocardiogram (EKG) within 28 days prior to registration

- Patients must not have cardiac disease defined as: New York Heart Association (NYHA)
> class II; patients must not have unstable angina (angina symptoms at rest) or new
onset angina (began within the last 3 months) or myocardial infarction within the
past 6 months

- Patients must not have any coexisting medical condition that is likely to interfere
with study procedures or results, and must be reasonable candidates for intensive
chemotherapy, in the opinion of their treating physicians

- Patients who are known to be human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) positive (+) are
eligible providing they meet all of the following additional criteria within 28 days
prior to registration:

- Cluster of differentiation (CD) 4 cells >= 500/mm^3

- Viral load < 50 copies of HIV messenger ribonucleic acid (mRNA)/mm^3 if on
combination antiretroviral therapy (cART) or < 25,000 copies of 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 known hepatitis B or hepatitis C infection may be eligible providing
they have viral load < 800,000 IU/L within 28 days prior to registration

- Patients must be able to take oral medications

- Patients must not be pregnant or nursing due to the teratogenic potential of the
drugs used in this study; women/men of reproductive potential must have agreed to use
an effective contraceptive method; a woman is considered to be of "reproductive
potential" if she has had menses at any time in the preceding 12 consecutive months;
in addition to routine contraceptive methods, "effective contraception" also includes
heterosexual celibacy and surgery intended to prevent pregnancy (or with a
side-effect of pregnancy prevention) defined as a hysterectomy, bilateral
oophorectomy or bilateral tubal ligation; however, if at any point a previously
celibate patient chooses to become heterosexually active during the time period for
use of contraceptive measures outlined in the protocol, he/she is responsible for
beginning contraceptive measures

- Prior malignancy is allowed providing it does not require concurrent therapy;
exception: active hormonal therapy is allowed

- Patients must not be receiving valproic acid

- All patients must be informed of the investigational nature of this study; patients
or a legally authorized representative must sign and give written informed consent in
accordance with institutional and federal guidelines

- STEP 2 - CONSOLIDATION

- Patients may be registered for Consolidation provided that they were eligible for the
initial Induction/Re-Induction registration and satisfy the following additional
criteria:

- Patients must have achieved morphologic remission (complete remission [CR] or
complete remission with incomplete platelet recover [CRi]) after completion of
Induction or Re-Induction therapy; patient must remain in remission until
beginning Consolidation and this must be documented by bone marrow and
peripheral blood examination within 28 days prior to registration to Step 2

- All non-hematologic treatment related toxicities that are deemed clinically
significant by the treating physician must have resolved to =< grade 2

- Patients must not have received allogeneic stem cell transplant