Tamoxifen, Carboplatin, and Topotecan in Treating Patients With CNS Metastases or Recurrent Brain or Spinal Cord Tumors
Brain and Central Nervous System Tumors, Metastatic Cancer, Unspecified Adult Solid Tumor, Protocol Specific
About this trial
This is an interventional treatment trial for Brain and Central Nervous System Tumors focused on measuring tumors metastatic to brain, recurrent adult brain tumor, adult anaplastic astrocytoma, adult diffuse astrocytoma, adult giant cell glioblastoma, adult gliosarcoma, adult pilocytic astrocytoma, adult pineal gland astrocytoma, adult subependymal giant cell astrocytoma, adult brain stem glioma, adult anaplastic ependymoma, adult ependymoma, adult myxopapillary ependymoma, adult subependymoma, adult anaplastic oligodendroglioma, adult oligodendroglioma, unspecified adult solid tumor, protocol specific, adult mixed glioma
Eligibility Criteria
DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:
Diagnosis of 1 of the following:
Epithelial neoplasms metastatic to the central nervous system
- Recurrent or refractory to prior chemotherapeutic or radiotherapeutic regimens or for which no standard chemotherapy or whole brain radiotherapy regimens exist
- Stage IV disease
- Recurrent glial tumors (brain or spinal cord)
Received prior whole brain radiotherapy or stereotactic radiotherapy OR refused radiotherapy
- Patients with CNS metastases previously treated with radiotherapy are eligible, provided persistent or progressive CNS metastases are documented by MRI eight weeks after the end of radiotherapy
- Patients with glial tumors must show progressive disease by MRI after prior radiotherapy
Measurable disease in the brain/leptomeninges of the brain or spinal cord with baseline documentation within 4 weeks of study entry
- Must have ≥ 1 lesion that is ≥ 1 cm on MRI scan
- Ineligible for or has refused participation in higher priority institutional protocols
PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:
- Karnofsky performance status 50-100%
- Life expectancy ≥ 2 months
- Creatinine ≤ 1.5 mg/dL
- WBC 4,000/mm³ OR ANC ≥ 2,000/mm³
- Platelet count ≥ 150,000/mm³
- Bilirubin ≤ 1.5 mg/dL
- ALT and AST < 2 times upper limit of normal
- Not pregnant
- Negative pregnancy test
- Fertile patients must use effective contraception
- No nonmalignant concurrent illness (e.g., cardiovascular or pulmonary) that is either poorly controlled with currently available treatment or of such severity to preclude study entry
- No severe infection
- Patients who are ineligible for lumbar puncture are allowed
PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:
- See Disease Characteristics
- At least 3 weeks since prior radiotherapy, immunotherapy, or chemotherapy OR recovered from expected side effects of prior therapy
- No patients who are recovering from major surgery
- No concurrent radiotherapy
- Concurrent steroid or anticonvulsant therapy allowed
Sites / Locations
- City of Hope Comprehensive Cancer Center