Active clinical trials for "Nervous System Neoplasms"

RATIONALE: Inserting the gene for p53 into a person's brain cells may improve the body's ability to fight cancer. PURPOSE: Phase I trial to study the effectiveness of p53 gene therapy with SCH-58500 in treating patients who have recurrent, or progressive glioblastoma multiforme, anaplastic astrocytoma, or anaplastic mixed glioma that can be removed during surgery.

RATIONALE: Prinomastat may stop the growth of glioblastoma multiforme by stopping blood flow to the tumor. Drugs used in chemotherapy stop tumor cells from dividing so they stop growing or die. PURPOSE: Randomized phase II trial to study the effectiveness of prinomastat plus temozolomide in treating patients who have newly diagnosed glioblastoma multiforme.

RATIONALE: Radiation therapy uses high-energy x-rays to damage tumor cells. Drugs used in chemotherapy, such as temozolomide, carmustine, and lomustine, use 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 randomized phase III trial is studying radiation therapy and temozolomide to see how well they work compared to radiation therapy and carmustine or lomustine in treating patients with anaplastic astrocytoma or mixed gliomas.

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.

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: Drugs used in chemotherapy, such as temozolomide, vincristine, and irinotecan, work in different ways to stop the growth of tumor cells, either by killing the cells or by stopping them from dividing. Giving more than one drug (combination chemotherapy) may kill more tumor cells. PURPOSE: This phase I trial is studying the side effects and best dose of irinotecan when given together with temozolomide and vincristine in treating young patients with refractory solid tumors.

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: 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.