Active clinical trials for "Central Nervous System Neoplasms"

RATIONALE: Monoclonal antibodies can locate tumor cells and either kill them or deliver tumor-killing substances to them without harming normal cells. PURPOSE: Phase I/II trial to determine the effectiveness of monoclonal antibody therapy in treating patients who have primary or metastatic melanoma or brain tumors.

RATIONALE: Drugs used in chemotherapy use different ways to stop tumor cells from dividing so they stop growing or die. Combining chemotherapy with peripheral stem cell transplantation may allow the doctor to give higher doses of chemotherapy drugs and kill more tumor cells. PURPOSE: This phase II trial is studying how well giving combination chemotherapy together with bone marrow transplantation or peripheral stem cell transplantation works in treating patients with relapsed germ cell cancer.

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: This randomized phase III trial is studying two different combination chemotherapy regimens and comparing how well they work in treating children with low-grade astrocytomas or other residual tumors of the brain.

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 irinotecan plus carmustine in treating patients who have recurrent primary malignant glioma.

RATIONALE: Monoclonal antibodies can locate tumor cells and deliver tumor-killing substances, such as radioactive iodine, to them without harming normal cells. PURPOSE: Phase I trial to study the effectiveness of radiolabeled monoclonal antibody after radiation therapy in treating patients with newly diagnosed primary brain tumors that can be surgically resected.

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 and combining chemotherapy with autologous bone marrow transplantation or peripheral stem cell transplantation may allow doctors to give higher doses of chemotherapy drugs and kill more tumor cells. PURPOSE: Phase II trial to study the effectiveness of combination chemotherapy plus bone marrow transplantation or peripheral stem cell transplantation in treating patients who have oligodendroglioma.

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 sarCNU in treating patients who have recurrent malignant glioma.

RATIONALE: Drugs used in chemotherapy use different ways to stop tumor cells from dividing so they stop growing or die. Radiation therapy uses high-energy x-rays to damage tumor cells. Combining more than one drug with radiation therapy may kill more tumor cells. PURPOSE: Phase I trial to study the effectiveness of vincristine plus etoposide and radiation therapy in treating children who have newly diagnosed brain stem glioma.

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 CCI-779 in treating patients who have advanced solid tumors.

RATIONALE: Internal radiation uses high-energy radiation to damage tumor cells. Drugs used in chemotherapy use different ways to stop tumor cells from dividing so they stop growing or die. Combining internal radiation therapy with chemotherapy implants may kill remaining tumor cells following surgery. PURPOSE: Phase I trial to study the effectiveness of internal radiation therapy plus carmustine implants in treating patients who have recurrent or refractory malignant glioma.