Active clinical trials for "Central Nervous System Neoplasms"

RATIONALE: Radiation therapy uses high-energy x-rays to kill tumor cells. 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. It is not yet known whether radiation therapy is more effective than temozolomide in treating gliomas. PURPOSE: This randomized phase III trial is studying radiation therapy to see how well it works compared to temozolomide in treating patients with gliomas.

RATIONALE: Monoclonal antibodies, such as rituximab, can block cancer growth in different ways. Some block the ability of cancer cells to grow and spread. Others find cancer cells and help kill them or carry cancer-killing substances to them. Giving rituximab intrathecally may be an effective treatment for recurrent CNS lymphoma. PURPOSE: This phase I trial is studying the side effects and best dose of intrathecal rituximab in treating patients with recurrent CNS lymphoma.

RATIONALE: Talabostat may stop the growth of tumor cells by blocking some of the enzymes needed for cell growth. Drugs used in chemotherapy, such as temozolomide and carboplatin, work in different ways to stop the growth of tumor cells, either by killing the cells or by stopping them from dividing. Giving talabostat together with temozolomide or carboplatin may kill more tumor cells. PURPOSE: This phase I trial is studying the side effects and best dose of talabostat when given together with temozolomide or carboplatin in treating young patients with relapsed or refractory brain tumors or other solid tumors.

RATIONALE: Collecting samples of tumor tissue and blood from patients with cancer to study in the laboratory may help doctors learn how patients respond to treatment. PURPOSE: This clinical trial is looking at tumor tissue samples from patients receiving imatinib mesylate for malignant glioma to see how much imatinib mesylate is found in the tumor tissue.

RATIONALE: Imatinib mesylate, vatalanib, and hydroxyurea may stop the growth of tumor cells by blocking some of the enzymes needed for cell growth. Vatalanib may also stop the growth of tumor cells by blocking blood flow to the tumor. Giving imatinib mesylate and vatalanib together with hydroxyurea may kill more tumor cells. PURPOSE: This phase I trial is studying the side effects and best dose of imatinib mesylate and vatalanib when given together with hydroxyurea in treating patients with recurrent or relapsed malignant glioma.

RATIONALE: Drugs used in chemotherapy, such as gossypol and 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. Gossypol may help temozolomide work better by making tumor cells more sensitive to the drug. Gossypol may also make tumor cells more sensitive to radiation therapy. Giving gossypol and temozolomide together with radiation therapy may kill more tumor cells. PURPOSE: This phase I trial is studying the side effects and best dose of gossypol when given together with temozolomide with or without radiation therapy in treating patients with newly diagnosed glioblastoma multiforme.

RATIONALE: Drugs used in chemotherapy, such as VNP40101M, work in 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 VNP40101M in treating young patients with recurrent, progressive, or refractory primary brain tumors.

RATIONALE: AEE788 and everolimus may stop the growth of tumor cells by blocking some of the enzymes needed for cell growth and by blocking blood flow to the tumor. Giving AEE788 together with everolimus may kill more tumor cells. PURPOSE: This phase I/II trial is studying the side effects and best dose of AEE788 when given together with everolimus and to see how well they work in treating patients with recurrent or relapsed glioblastoma multiforme.

RATIONALE: Specialized radiation therapy that delivers radiation directly to the area where a tumor was surgically removed may kill any remaining tumor cells and cause less damage to normal tissue. PURPOSE: This phase II trial is studying how well proton beam radiation therapy works in treating young patients who have undergone biopsy or surgery for medulloblastoma or pineoblastoma.

RATIONALE: Radiation therapy uses high-energy x-rays to kill tumor cells. Erlotinib may stop the growth of tumor cells by blocking some of the enzymes needed for cell growth and by blocking blood flow to the tumor. It may also make tumor cells more sensitive to radiation therapy. Giving radiation therapy together with erlotinib may kill more tumor cells. PURPOSE: This phase I/II trial is studying the side effects and best dose of erlotinib when given together with radiation therapy and to see how well they work in treating young patients with newly diagnosed glioma.