Active clinical trials for "Nervous System Neoplasms"

RATIONALE: Drugs used in chemotherapy use different ways to stop cancer cells from dividing so they stop growing or die. Combining more than one drug may kill more cancer cells. PURPOSE: This phase I trial is studying the side effects and best dose of carboxyamidotriazole and paclitaxel in treating patients with advanced solid tumors or refractory lymphomas.

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 intrathecal or intraventricular topotecan in treating recurrent, progressive, or refractory cancer that is metastatic to the lining around the brain.

RATIONALE: Drugs used in chemotherapy such as talampanel use different ways to stop tumor cells from dividing so they stop growing or die. PURPOSE: This phase II trial is studying how well talampanel works in treating patients with recurrent, progressive high-grade glioma.

RATIONALE: Radioimmunotherapy uses radiolabeled monoclonal antibodies to locate tumor cells and deliver radioactive tumor-killing substances to them without harming normal cells. Radiation therapy uses high-energy x-rays to damage tumor cells. Drugs used in chemotherapy use different ways to stop tumor cells from dividing so they stop growing or die. Combining intrathecal radioimmunotherapy and radiation therapy with combination chemotherapy may kill any tumor cells remaining after surgery. PURPOSE: Phase II trial to study the effectiveness of combining intrathecal radioimmunotherapy and radiation therapy with combination chemotherapy in treating patients who have undergone surgery for medulloblastoma.

RATIONALE: Imatinib mesylate may interfere with the growth of tumor cells and may be an effective treatment for recurrent glioma and meningioma. PURPOSE: Phase I/II trial to study the effectiveness of imatinib mesylate in treating patients who have progressive, recurrent, or unresectable malignant glioma or meningioma.

RATIONALE: Drugs used in chemotherapy use different ways to stop cancer cells from dividing so they stop growing or die. Combining chemotherapy with peripheral stem cell transplant may allow the doctor to give higher doses of chemotherapy drugs and kill more cancer cells. PURPOSE: This phase II trial is studying how well chemotherapy and peripheral stem cell transplant work in treating patients with central nervous system cancer.

RATIONALE: Drugs used in chemotherapy use different ways to stop tumor cells from dividing so they stop growing or die. Calcitriol may help solid tumor cells develop into normal cells. Combining calcitriol with chemotherapy may kill more tumor cells. PURPOSE: Phase I trial to study the effectiveness of calcitriol combined with carboplatin in treating patients who have advanced solid tumors.

RATIONALE: Drugs used in chemotherapy use different ways to stop tumor cells from dividing so they stop growing or die. PURPOSE: Phase II trial to study the effectiveness of glufosfamide in treating patients who have recurrent glioblastoma multiforme.

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 gallium nitrate in young patients who have malignant brain tumors, neuroblastoma, rhabdomyosarcoma, non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, or refractory solid tumor.

RATIONALE: Drugs used in chemotherapy use different ways to stop tumor cells from dividing so they stop growing or die. Bone marrow or peripheral stem cell transplantation may be able to replace immune cells that were destroyed by chemotherapy used to kill tumor cells. PURPOSE: Phase II trial to study the effectiveness of chemotherapy followed by autologous bone marrow or peripheral stem cell transplantation in treating patients with glioblastoma multiforme or brain stem tumors.