Active clinical trials for "Central Nervous System Neoplasms"

RATIONALE: Drugs used in chemotherapy, such as etoposide, carboplatin, and bleomycin, 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. Giving chemotherapy drugs before surgery may make the tumor smaller and reduce the amount of normal tissue that needs to be removed. Giving combination chemotherapy after surgery may kill any tumor cells that remain. PURPOSE: This clinical trial is studying how well giving etoposide, carboplatin, and bleomycin works in treating young patients undergoing surgery for malignant germ cell tumors.

RATIONALE: Drugs used in chemotherapy, such as arsenic trioxide 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. Giving arsenic trioxide and temozolomide together with radiation therapy after surgery may kill any remaining tumor cells. PURPOSE: This phase I/II trial is studying the side effects and best dose of arsenic trioxide and temozolomide when given together with radiation therapy and to see how well they work in treating patients with malignant glioma that has been removed by surgery.

RATIONALE: Drugs used in chemotherapy, such as etoposide, work in different ways to stop the growth of tumor cells, either by killing the cells or by stopping them from dividing. PURPOSE: This phase II trial is studying how well etoposide works in treating young patients with ependymoma.

RATIONALE: Drugs used in chemotherapy 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. Radiation therapy uses high-energy x-rays to kill tumor cells. It is not yet known whether giving methotrexate together with combination chemotherapy and radiation therapy is more effective than combination chemotherapy and radiation therapy alone in treating gliomas. PURPOSE: This randomized phase III trial is studying giving methotrexate together with combination chemotherapy and radiation therapy to see how well it works compared to combination chemotherapy and radiation therapy alone in treating young patients with newly diagnosed gliomas.

RATIONALE: Erlotinib may stop the growth of tumor cells by blocking some of the enzymes needed for cell growth. Radiation therapy uses high-energy x-rays to kill tumor cells. Giving erlotinib together with radiation therapy may kill more tumor cells. PURPOSE: This phase I trial is studying the side effects and best dose of erlotinib when given alone or together with radiation therapy in treating young patients with refractory or relapsed malignant brain tumors or 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. Combining more than one drug may kill more tumor cells. PURPOSE: Randomized phase III trial to compare the effectiveness of carboplatin plus vincristine in treating children and adolescents with low grade glioma.

RATIONALE: Erlotinib may stop the growth of cancer cells by blocking the enzymes necessary for cancer cell growth. PURPOSE: Phase II trial to study the effectiveness of erlotinib in treating patients who have recurrent or progressive glioblastoma multiforme.

RATIONALE: Genetic studies may help in understanding the genetic processes involved in the development of some types of cancer. PURPOSE: Genetic study to understand how genes may be involved in the development of brain tumors in young children.

RATIONALE: Perfusion magnetic resonance imaging may be an effective method of measuring the growth of blood vessels in brain tumors. These measurements may help doctors better diagnose and treat brain tumors. PURPOSE: Pilot study to determine the effectiveness of perfusion magnetic resonance imaging in measuring the growth of blood vessels in newly diagnosed brain tumors.

RATIONALE: Photodynamic therapy uses light and drugs that make cancer cells more sensitive to light to kill tumor cells. It is not yet known if the addition of photodynamic therapy to combined therapy with surgery, radiation therapy, and chemotherapy is more effective than combined therapy alone for supratentorial gliomas. PURPOSE: Randomized phase III trial to study the effectiveness of surgery, radiation therapy, and chemotherapy with or without photodynamic therapy in treating patients who have newly diagnosed or recurrent malignant supratentorial gliomas.