Active clinical trials for "Nervous System Neoplasms"

RATIONALE: Brachytherapy uses radioactive material to kill cancer cells remaining after surgery. PURPOSE: Phase I trial to study the effectiveness of brachytherapy in treating patients who have recurrent malignant glioma.

RATIONALE: Chemotherapy drugs such as sirolimus use different ways to stop tumor cells from dividing so they stop growing or die. Giving a chemotherapy drug before surgery may shrink the tumor so that it can be removed during surgery. PURPOSE: Phase I/II trial to study the effectiveness of sirolimus in treating patients who have glioblastoma multiforme that did not respond to previous radiation therapy.

RATIONALE: Thalidomide and celecoxib may stop the growth of tumor cells by stopping blood flow to the tumor. Drugs used in chemotherapy use different ways to stop tumor cells from dividing so they stop growing or die. Combining thalidomide and celecoxib with etoposide and cyclophosphamide may kill more tumor cells. PURPOSE: Phase II trial to study the effectiveness of combining thalidomide and celecoxib with etoposide and cyclophosphamide in treating patients who have relapsed or refractory malignant glioma.

RATIONALE: Drugs used in chemotherapy work in different ways to stop tumor cells from dividing so they stop growing or die. Giving a chemotherapy drug before surgery may shrink the tumor so that it is no longer present by conventional imaging and tumor markers from serum and cerebrospinal fluid. Radiation therapy uses high-energy x-rays to damage tumor cells. Peripheral stem cell transplantation may allow the doctor to give higher doses of chemotherapy drugs and kill more tumor cells. Combining different types of therapy may kill more tumor cells. PURPOSE: This Phase II trial is studying how well neoadjuvant chemotherapy with or without surgery and with or without high dose chemotherapy and peripheral stem cell transplantation, can increase response rates prior to radiation therapy and increase progression free and overall surviving patients with newly diagnosed intracranial germ cell tumors.

RATIONALE: Vaccines made from a person's white blood cells and tumor cells may help the body build an effective immune response to kill tumor cells. Giving vaccine therapy after surgery may be a more effective treatment for malignant glioma. PURPOSE: This phase I trial is studying the side effects and best dose of vaccine therapy in treating young patients who are undergoing surgery for malignant glioma.

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. Giving temozolomide together with radiation therapy may kill more tumor cells. PURPOSE: This phase II trial is studying how well giving temozolomide together with radiation therapy works in treating patients with low-grade gliomas.

RATIONALE: Lapatinib may stop the growth of tumor cells by blocking the enzymes necessary for their growth. PURPOSE: This phase I/II trial is studying the side effects and best dose of lapatinib and to see how well it works in treating patients with recurrent glioblastoma multiforme.

RATIONALE: Radiation therapy uses high-energy x-rays to damage tumor cells. Drugs used in chemotherapy, such as temozolomide and irinotecan, work in different ways to stop tumor cells from dividing so they stop growing or die. Combining radiation therapy with chemotherapy may kill more tumor cells. PURPOSE: This phase II trial is studying how well radiation therapy, temozolomide, and irinotecan work in treating patients with newly diagnosed glioblastoma multiforme.

This phase II trial is studying how well giving radiation therapy together with temozolomide and lomustine works in treating young patients with newly diagnosed gliomas. Radiation therapy uses high energy x-rays to kill tumor cells. Drugs used in chemotherapy, such as temozolomide and lomustine, work in different ways to stop the growth of tumor cells, either by killing the cells or by stopping them from dividing. Giving radiation therapy together with temozolomide and lomustine after surgery may kill any remaining tumor cells.

RATIONALE: Drugs used in chemotherapy, such as gimatecan, work in different ways to stop tumor cells from dividing so they stop growing or die. PURPOSE: This phase I/II trial is studying the side effects and best dose of gimatecan in treating patients with recurrent or progressive primary malignant glioma.