Traditional therapy of acute myelogenous leukemia has not cured more than 10% of patients and, of acute lymphoblastic leukemia not more than 30% of adults. In part, this is due to the lack of agents effective enough to induce remissions of such quality that cure is possible. The introduction of mitoxantrone and its use in high dose with high-dose cytarabine for induction therapy, raises the possibility of an increased cure rate of acute myelogenous leukemia and acute lymphoblastic leukemia.