Active clinical trials for "Central Nervous System Neoplasms"

RATIONALE: Boron neutron capture therapy and radiation therapy use high-energy x-rays and other types of radiation 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. Giving boron neutron capture therapy followed by radiation therapy and temozolomide may kill more tumor cells. PURPOSE: This phase II trial is studying the side effects of giving boron neutron capture therapy together with radiation therapy and temozolomide in treating patients with newly diagnosed glioblastoma multiforme.

RATIONALE: 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. 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 everolimus together with temozolomide and radiation therapy may kill more tumor cells. PURPOSE: This phase I/II trial is studying the side effects and best dose of everolimus when given together with temozolomide and radiation therapy and to see how well it works in treating patients with newly diagnosed glioblastoma multiforme.

This study is a Phase I study using vinblastine and sirolimus in patients with relapsed solid tumors including selected brain tumors and lymphoma. The investigators hypothesis is that the combination administration of weekly vinblastine and sirolimus is safe.

The purpose of this study is to find out what effects, good and/or bad, sunitinib has on patients and their tumors. At this time, no drugs are routinely used to treat meningioma, hemangioblastoma or hemangiopericytoma. Only surgery and radiation therapy are known to be useful. Sunitinib is a drug approved for advanced kidney cancer. Sunitinib is also being studied for other tumors. It may be useful in the treatment of brain tumors because it can prevent formation of new blood vessels that allow tumor cells to survive and grow.

RATIONALE: Sometimes a tumor may not need treatment until it progresses. In this case, observation may be sufficient. Specialized radiation therapy that delivers a high dose of radiation directly to the tumor, such as 3-dimensional conformal radiation therapy and intensity-modulated radiation therapy, may kill more tumor cells and cause less damage to normal tissue. It is not yet known whether observation is more effective than radiation therapy in treating patients with meningioma. PURPOSE: This phase II trial is studying observation to see how well it works compared with radiation therapy in treating patients with grade I, grade II, or grade III meningioma.

Dasatinib may stop the growth of tumor cells by blocking some of the enzymes needed for cell growth. It may also make tumor cells more sensitive to radiation therapy. 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. This randomized phase I/II trial is studying the best dose of dasatinib and to see how well it works compared with a placebo when given together with radiation therapy and temozolomide in treating patients with newly diagnosed glioblastoma multiforme.

RATIONALE: Radiation therapy uses high-energy x-rays to kill tumor cells. Giving radiation therapy in higher doses over a shorter period of time may kill more tumor cells and have fewer side effects. 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 standard radiation therapy, higher-dose radiation therapy, or chemotherapy is more effective in treating older patients with glioblastoma multiforme. PURPOSE: This randomized phase III trial is studying standard radiation therapy to see how well it works compared with higher-dose radiation therapy or chemotherapy in treating older patients with glioblastoma multiforme.

RATIONALE: Drugs used in chemotherapy, such as high-dose methotrexate work in different ways to stop the growth of tumor cells, either by killing the cells or by stopping them from dividing. Chemoprotective drugs, such as leucovorin calcium, may protect normal cells from the side effects of chemotherapy. PURPOSE: This phase I trial is studying the side effects, best way to give, and best dose of high-dose methotrexate in treating patients with solid tumors.

RATIONALE: Enzastaurin 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. PURPOSE: This phase I trial is studying the side effects and best dose of enzastaurin in treating young patients with refractory primary brain tumors.

RATIONALE: Everolimus may stop the growth of tumor cells by blocking some of the enzymes needed for cell growth and by blocking some of the blood flow to the tumor. Drugs used in chemotherapy, such as temozolomide, work in different ways to stop the growth of cancer cells, either by killing the cells or by stopping them from dividing. Radiation therapy uses high-energy x-rays to kill tumor cells. Giving everolimus together with temozolomide and radiation therapy may kill more tumor cells. PURPOSE: This phase I/II trial is studying the side effects and best dose of everolimus when given together with temozolomide and radiation therapy in treating patients with newly diagnosed glioblastoma.