Active clinical trials for "Nervous System Neoplasms"

RATIONALE: Bortezomib may stop the growth of tumor cells by blocking some of the enzymes needed for cell growth and by blocking blood flow to the tumor. 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 bortezomib together with temozolomide may kill more tumor cells. PURPOSE: This phase I trial is studying the side effects and best dose of bortezomib when given together with temozolomide in treating patients with brain tumors or other solid tumors that have not responded to treatment.

RATIONALE: 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. Collecting fluid samples through a catheter may help doctors find out how well temozolomide spreads throughout the brain. PURPOSE: This clinical trial is studying temozolomide in treating patients with primary brain tumors or metastatic brain tumors.

RATIONALE: Drugs used in chemotherapy work in different ways to stop the growth of cancer cells, either by killing the cells or by stopping them from dividing. Monoclonal antibodies, such as rituximab, can block cancer growth in different ways. Some block the ability of cancer cells to grow and spread. Others find cancer cells and help kill them or carry cancer-killing substances to them. Giving rituximab together with combination chemotherapy may kill more cancer cells. PURPOSE: This clinical trial is studying the side effects and best ways to give combination chemotherapy together with rituximab in treating patients with newly diagnosed primary CNS lymphoma.

RATIONALE: Erlotinib and sirolimus may stop the growth of tumor cells by blocking some of the enzymes needed for cell growth. PURPOSE: This phase I/II trial is studying the side effects and best dose of erlotinib when given together with sirolimus and to see how well they work in treating patients with recurrent malignant glioma.

RATIONALE: Collecting fluid from a brain tumor using a small catheter may help doctors learn how much methotrexate gets into the tumor to kill the tumor cells. It may also help doctors learn how methotrexate works in the brain and in the rest of the body. PURPOSE: This clinical trial is studying how much methotrexate gets into the brain tumor by collecting fluid directly from the tumor through a small catheter in patients undergoing stereotactic biopsy for recurrent high-grade glioma.

Vaccines made from a person's tumor cells, such as gp96 heat shock protein-peptide complex, may help the body build an effective immune response to kill tumor cells. This phase I/II trial is studying the side effects and best dose of gp96 heat shock protein-peptide complex vaccine to see how well it works in treating patients with recurrent or progressive high-grade glioma over time.

The purpose of this study is to determine the safety of the drug EPO906 that could shrink tumors when used with radiation therapy in cancer patients.

RATIONALE: ATN-161 may stop the growth of tumor cells by blocking blood flow to the tumor. Drugs used in chemotherapy, such as carboplatin, work in different ways to stop the growth of tumor cells, either by killing the cells or by stopping them from dividing. Giving ATN-161 together with carboplatin may kill more tumor cells. PURPOSE: This phase I/II trial is studying the side effects and best dose of ATN-161 when given together with carboplatin and to see how well they work in treating patients with recurrent malignant glioma.

RATIONALE: Radiolabeled monoclonal antibodies, such as iodine I 131 monoclonal antibody TNT-1/B (^131I MOAB TNT-1/B), can find tumor cells and carry tumor-killing substances to them without harming normal cells. This may be an effective treatment for glioblastoma multiforme. PURPOSE: This phase I trial is studying the side effects and best dose of ^131I MOAB TNT-1/B in treating patients with progressive or recurrent glioblastoma multiforme.

RATIONALE: Drugs used in chemotherapy, such as carboplatin, vincristine, and temozolomide, work in different ways to stop tumor cells from dividing so they stop growing or die. Giving more than one drug may kill more tumor cells. PURPOSE: This pilot study is studying giving carboplatin and vincristine together with temozolomide in treating children with progressive and/or symptomatic low-grade glioma.