Active clinical trials for "Central Nervous System Neoplasms"

RATIONALE: Vatalanib may stop the growth of tumor cells by blocking blood flow to the tumor and by blocking some of the enzymes needed for cell growth. PURPOSE: This phase II trial is studying how well vatalanib works in treating patients with recurrent or progressive meningioma.

RATIONALE: Imatinib mesylate may stop the growth of tumor cells by blocking some of the enzymes needed for cell growth. Drugs used in chemotherapy, such as temozolomide, work in different ways to stop the growth of tumor cells, either by killing the cells or by stopping them from dividing. Giving imatinib mesylate together with temozolomide may kill more tumor cells. PURPOSE: This phase I trial is studying the side effects and best dose of imatinib mesylate when given together with temozolomide in treating patients with malignant glioma.

RATIONALE: Drugs used in chemotherapy, such as capecitabine, work in different ways to stop the growth of tumor cells, either by killing the cells or by stopping them from dividing. Radiation therapy uses high-energy x-rays to kill tumor cells. Capecitabine may make tumor cells more sensitive to radiation therapy. Giving capecitabine together with radiation therapy may kill more tumor cells. PURPOSE: This phase I trial is studying the side effects and best dose of capecitabine when given together with radiation therapy in treating young patients with newly diagnosed, nonmetastatic brain stem glioma or high-grade glioma.

RATIONALE: Drugs used in chemotherapy, such as carboplatin, thiotepa, and etoposide, work in different ways to stop tumor cells from dividing so they stop growing or die. Combining chemotherapy with autologous stem cell transplantation may allow the doctor to give higher doses of chemotherapy drugs and kill more tumor cells. Isotretinoin may be effective in preventing recurrence of glioma. It is not yet known which regimen of chemotherapy plus autologous stem cell transplantation with or without isotretinoin is more effective in treating recurrent high-grade glioma. PURPOSE: This randomized phase III trial is studying high-dose chemotherapy or intermediate-dose chemotherapy followed by autologous stem cell transplantation to see how well it works compared to high-dose chemotherapy or intermediate-dose chemotherapy followed by autologous stem cell transplantation and isotretinoin in treating young patients with recurrent high-grade glioma.

RATIONALE: Thalidomide may stop the growth of malignant glioma by stopping blood flow to the tumor. Drugs used in chemotherapy, such as procarbazine, work in different ways to stop tumor cells from dividing so they stop growing or die. Combining thalidomide with procarbazine may kill more tumor cells. PURPOSE: This phase II trial is studying how well giving thalidomide together with procarbazine works in treating patients with recurrent or progressive malignant glioma.

RATIONALE: Drugs used in chemotherapy, such as methotrexate, work in different ways to stop tumor cells from dividing so they stop growing or die. Leucovorin may decrease side effects caused by high-dose methotrexate. PURPOSE: This phase II trial is studying how well giving high-dose methotrexate together with leucovorin works in treating patients with newly diagnosed glioblastoma multiforme.

RATIONALE: Drugs used in chemotherapy, such as CC-8490, work in different ways to stop tumor cells from dividing so they stop growing or die. PURPOSE: Phase I trial to study the effectiveness of CC-8490 in treating patients who have recurrent or refractory high-grade gliomas.

RATIONALE: Drugs used in chemotherapy, such as arsenic trioxide, work in different ways to stop tumor cells from dividing so they stop growing or die. Radiation therapy uses high-energy x-rays to damage tumor cells and may be an effective treatment for patients with glioma. Drugs such as arsenic trioxide may also make the tumor cells more sensitive to radiation therapy. Combining arsenic trioxide with radiation therapy may kill more tumor cells. PURPOSE: Phase I trial to study the effectiveness of combining arsenic trioxide with radiation therapy in treating patients who have newly diagnosed gliomas.

RATIONALE: Drugs used in chemotherapy work in different ways to stop tumor cells from dividing so they stop growing or die. Radiation therapy uses high-energy x-rays to damage tumor cells. Giving more than one chemotherapy drug with radiation therapy may kill more tumor cells. PURPOSE: This phase II trial is studying how well giving intrathecal and systemic combination chemotherapy together with radiation therapy works in treating young patients with newly diagnosed central nervous system (CNS) atypical teratoid/rhabdoid tumors.

Studies have provided evidence that residual microscopic malignant cells in autologous bone marrow or blood stem cell grafts can contribute to posttransplant relapse. Researchers are currently exploring different methods in an attempt to purify or "purge" the stem cell product to minimize the risk of tumor contamination. The CD133+ antigen is a protein contained on or "expressed" on numerous cells in the human body including specific hematopoietic progenitor (blood forming) cells. However, this antigen is not expressed on certain cancer cells including neuroblastoma. A technique using the investigational CliniMACS cell sorting device has been developed in an effort to filter out only those stem cells that express this CD133+ antigen in order to infuse a hematopoietic stem cell product with no tumor contamination potential. The primary objective of this study is to establish safety of treating patients with a high dose chemotherapy regimen of Busulfan and Melphalan followed by autologous CD133+ hematopoietic stem cell support. Transplants recipients are expected to achieve engraftment as defined by an absolute neutrophil count of greater than or equal to 500/mm3 for three consecutive days by day 42-post infusion. Thus, safety of the treatment plan will be evaluated in terms of failure to engraft by this specific time period.