Active clinical trials for "Nervous System Neoplasms"

RATIONALE: Drugs used in chemotherapy use different ways to stop tumor cells from dividing so they stop growing or die. Giving a chemotherapy drug before surgery or radiation therapy may shrink the tumor so that it can be removed during surgery or radiation therapy. Peripheral stem cell transplant may be able to replace immune cells that were destroyed by chemotherapy or radiation therapy and allow doctors to give higher doses of chemotherapy. PURPOSE: This phase II trial is studying how well combination chemotherapy followed by surgery or radiation therapy and peripheral stem cell transplant work in treating patients with recurrent medulloblastoma or primitive neuroectodermal and pineal tumors.

RATIONALE: Drugs used in chemotherapy use different ways to stop cancer cells from dividing so they stop growing or die. PURPOSE: Phase I trial to study the effectiveness of atrasentan in treating patients who have progressive or recurrent malignant glioma.

RATIONALE: Drugs used in chemotherapy use different ways to stop tumor cells from dividing so they stop growing or die. Combining more than one drug may kill more tumor cells. PURPOSE: Phase I trial to study the effectiveness of combining temozolomide and O6-benzylguanine in treating children who have solid tumors that have not responded to previous therapy.

RATIONALE: Radiation therapy uses high-energy x-rays to damage tumor cells. Drugs such as pentoxifylline and hydroxyurea may make tumor cells more sensitive to radiation therapy. PURPOSE: Phase I trial to study the effectiveness of radiation therapy plus pentoxifylline and hydroxyurea in treating patients who have high-grade astrocytoma or glioblastoma.

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. Radiation therapy uses high-energy x-rays to kill tumor cells. Vatalanib may stop the growth of tumor cells by blocking blood flow to the tumor. Giving temozolomide and radiation therapy together with vatalanib may kill more tumor cells. PURPOSE: This randomized phase I/II trial is studying the side effects and best dose of vatalanib when given together with temozolomide and radiation therapy and to see how well they work in treating patients with newly diagnosed glioblastoma multiforme.

RATIONALE: Biological therapies such as gefitinib may interfere with the growth of tumor cells and slow the growth of CNS tumors. PURPOSE: Phase II trial to study the effectiveness of gefitinib in treating patients who have recurrent or progressive CNS tumors.

RATIONALE: Drugs used in chemotherapy use different ways to stop tumor cells from dividing so they stop growing or die. PURPOSE: Phase I trial to study the effectiveness of melphalan in patients with persistent or recurrent neoplastic meningitis.

RATIONALE: Drugs used in chemotherapy use different ways to stop tumor cells from dividing so they stop growing or die. Combining more than one drug may kill more tumor cells. PURPOSE: Phase II trial to study the effectiveness of methotrexate, mechlorethamine, vincristine, procarbazine, and prednisone in treating children with astrocytomas or primitive neuroectodermal tumors.

RATIONALE: Radiation therapy uses high-energy x-rays to damage tumor cells. Drugs such as gadolinium texaphyrin may make tumor cells more sensitive to radiation therapy. PURPOSE: Phase I trial to study the effectiveness of gadolinium texaphyrin plus radiation therapy in treating patients who have supratentorial glioblastoma multiforme that has not been previously treated.

RATIONALE: Immunotoxins can locate tumor cells and kill them without harming normal cells. This may be an effective treatment for malignant glioma. PURPOSE: Phase I/II trial to study the effectiveness of immunotoxin therapy in treating patients who have malignant glioma.