Adult patients (> or = 56 years old) with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) received induction therapy consisting of daunorubicin (60 mg/m2), etoposide (80 mg/m2), and cytarabine (200 mg/m2) daily for 5 days by continuous i.v. infusion (120 hours). The initial protocol was modified so that patients who were not hypoplastic after the first cycle of chemotherapy received a second cycle of treatment, utilizing 30 mg/m2 of daunorubicin/24 hours for 5 days plus etoposide and cytarabine as used in the first cycle. Two courses of consolidation with etoposide and cytarabine at the same dose and schedule were given. Patients were then maintained on cytarabine monthly. Twelve of 29 previously untreated patients (41%) achieved complete remission (CR). Excluding patients with secondary AML, 48% of all patients (11/23) achieved CR, including 56% > or = 70 years old. The median duration of CR was 41 weeks and median survival of CR patients was 54 weeks. Six of 13 patients (46%) with relapsed AML achieved CR. Toxicity in these older adult patients has been mild. Two patients (8%) had severe mucositis and one had severe (bloody) diarrhea. Most patients developed a mild transient asymptomatic rash. Triple infusion chemotherapy (TIC) may be as effective as other chemotherapy regimens for AML in older adults and has acceptable toxicity.