Active clinical trials for "Central Nervous System Neoplasms"

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.

RATIONALE: Vaccines made from a person's white blood cells mixed with tumor proteins may make the body build an immune response to kill tumor cells. PURPOSE: This phase I trial is studying the side effects and best dose of vaccine therapy in treating patients with malignant glioma.

RATIONALE: Vaccines may make the body build an immune response to kill tumor cells. Colony-stimulating factors such as sargramostim increase the number of immune cells found in bone marrow or peripheral blood. Combining vaccine therapy with sargramostim may cause a stronger immune response and kill more tumor cells. PURPOSE: This phase I trial is studying the side effects of vaccine therapy when given together with sargramostim in treating patients with advanced sarcoma or brain tumor.

RATIONALE: Specialized radiation therapy that delivers radiation directly to the tumor may kill more tumor cells and cause less damage to normal tissue. PURPOSE: This phase II trial is studying how well radiation therapy works in treating young patients with gliomas.

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 carboplatin with irinotecan in treating patients who have glioblastoma multiforme.