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. PURPOSE: Phase I/II trial to study the effectiveness of CCI-779 in treating patients who have malignant glioma.

RATIONALE: Radiation therapy uses high-energy x-rays to damage tumor cells. Drugs such as motexafin gadolinium may make tumor cells more sensitive to radiation therapy. PURPOSE: Phase II trial to study the effectiveness of motexafin gadolinium plus radiation therapy to the brain in treating patients who have newly diagnosed glioblastoma multiforme.

RATIONALE: Drugs used in chemotherapy use 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. Combining radiation therapy with chemotherapy may kill more tumor cells. PURPOSE: Phase I trial to study the effectiveness of cladribine followed by radiation therapy in treating patients who have malignant glioma.

RATIONALE: Drugs used in chemotherapy use different ways to stop tumor cells from dividing so they stop growing or die. Lobradimil may increase the effectiveness of a chemotherapy drug by making tumor cells more sensitive to the drug. PURPOSE: Phase II trial to study the effectiveness of carboplatin and lobradimil in treating children with brain tumors that have not responded to previous treatment.

RATIONALE: Drugs used in chemotherapy, such as alanosine, use different ways to stop tumor cells from dividing so they stop growing or die. PURPOSE: This phase I trial is studying the side effects and best dose of alanosine in treating patients with high-grade progressive or recurrent malignant gliomas.

RATIONALE: Drugs used in chemotherapy such as methotrexate and temozolomide use different ways to stop cancer cells from dividing so they stop growing or die. Monoclonal antibodies such as rituximab can locate cancer cells and either kill them or deliver cancer-killing substances to them without harming normal cells. Radiation therapy uses high-energy x-rays to damage cancer cells. Combining methotrexate, temozolomide, and rituximab with radiation therapy may kill more cancer cells. PURPOSE: This phase I/II trial is studying the side effects and best dose of temozolomide when given together with methotrexate and rituximab followed by radiation therapy and to see how well they work in treating patients with primary central nervous system lymphoma.

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 combining carmustine and O6-benzylguanine in treating patients who have recurrent or progressive glioma.

RATIONALE: COL-3 may stop the growth of brain tumors by stopping blood flow to the tumor. PURPOSE: Phase I/II trial to study the effectiveness of COL-3 in treating patients who have progressive or recurrent brain tumors following radiation therapy or chemotherapy.

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/II trial to study the effectiveness of temozolomide plus irinotecan in treating patients who have recurrent malignant glioma.

RATIONALE: Tipifarnib may stop the growth of tumor cells by blocking the enzymes necessary for tumor cell growth. PURPOSE: Phase II trial to study the effectiveness of tipifarnib in treating patients who have recurrent or progressive malignant glioma.