Active clinical trials for "Nervous System Neoplasms"

RATIONALE: Drugs used in chemotherapy, such as epothilone ZK-219477, work in different ways to stop the growth of tumor cells, either by killing the cells or by stopping them from dividing. PURPOSE: This phase II trial is studying how well epothilone ZK-219477 works in treating patients with recurrent glioblastoma.

RATIONALE: 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 intrathecally may be an effective treatment for recurrent CNS lymphoma. PURPOSE: This phase I trial is studying the side effects and best dose of intrathecal rituximab in treating patients with recurrent CNS lymphoma.

RATIONALE: Drugs used in chemotherapy, such as hydroxychloroquine and temozolomide, 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. Giving hydroxychloroquine together with temozolomide and radiation therapy may kill more tumor cells. PURPOSE: This phase I/II trial is studying the side effects and best dose of hydroxychloroquine when given together with radiation therapy and temozolomide and to see how well they work in treating patients with newly diagnosed glioblastoma multiforme.

RATIONALE: Drugs used in chemotherapy, such as irinotecan, 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. Irinotecan may make tumor cells more sensitive to radiation therapy. Giving irinotecan together with whole-brain radiation therapy may kill more tumor cells. PURPOSE: This phase I/II trial is studying the side effects and best dose of irinotecan when given together with whole-brain radiation therapy and to see how well they work in treating patients with brain metastases from solid tumors. (The study of side effects and best dose has ended as of 4/15/05)

RATIONALE: Collecting samples of tumor tissue and blood from patients with cancer to study in the laboratory may help doctors learn how patients respond to treatment. PURPOSE: This clinical trial is looking at tumor tissue samples from patients receiving imatinib mesylate for malignant glioma to see how much imatinib mesylate is found in the tumor tissue.

RATIONALE: Imatinib mesylate, vatalanib, and hydroxyurea may stop the growth of tumor cells by blocking some of the enzymes needed for cell growth. Vatalanib may also stop the growth of tumor cells by blocking blood flow to the tumor. Giving imatinib mesylate and vatalanib together with hydroxyurea may kill more tumor cells. PURPOSE: This phase I trial is studying the side effects and best dose of imatinib mesylate and vatalanib when given together with hydroxyurea in treating patients with recurrent or relapsed malignant glioma.

RATIONALE: Drugs used in chemotherapy, such as gossypol and temozolomide, 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. Gossypol may help temozolomide work better by making tumor cells more sensitive to the drug. Gossypol may also make tumor cells more sensitive to radiation therapy. Giving gossypol and temozolomide together with radiation therapy may kill more tumor cells. PURPOSE: This phase I trial is studying the side effects and best dose of gossypol when given together with temozolomide with or without radiation therapy in treating patients with newly diagnosed glioblastoma multiforme.

RATIONALE: Radiation therapy uses high-energy x-rays to damage tumor cells. Drugs such as carboplatin and lobradimil may make the tumor cells more sensitive to radiation therapy. PURPOSE: Phase I trial to study the effectiveness of combining radiation therapy with carboplatin and lobradimil in treating children who have newly diagnosed brain stem gliomas.

RATIONALE: Biological therapies such as ZD 1839 may interfere with the growth of tumor cells and slow the growth of glioblastoma multiforme. PURPOSE: Phase II trial to study the effectiveness of ZD 1839 in treating patients who have glioblastoma multiforme in first relapse.

RATIONALE: Drugs used in chemotherapy use different ways to stop tumor cells from dividing so they stop growing or die. Combining chemotherapy with bone marrow or peripheral stem cell transplantation may allow the doctor to give higher doses of chemotherapy drugs and kill more tumor cells. Vaccines made from a person's white blood cells and tumor cells may make the body build an immune response to kill tumor cells. Interleukin-2 may stimulate a person's white blood cells to kill tumor cells. PURPOSE: Phase II trial to study the effectiveness of combination chemotherapy and vaccine therapy followed by bone marrow or peripheral stem cell transplantation and interleukin-2 in treating patients who have recurrent or refractory brain cancer.