Active clinical trials for "Central Nervous System Neoplasms"

RATIONALE: Thalidomide may stop the growth of tumor cells by stopping blood flow to the tumor. Drugs used in chemotherapy, such as temozolomide, work in different ways to stop tumor cells from dividing so they stop growing or die. Combining thalidomide with temozolomide may kill more tumor cells. PURPOSE: This phase II trial is studying the effectiveness of combining thalidomide with temozolomide in treating young patients who have relapsed or progressive brain tumors or recurrent neuroblastoma.

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. Giving chemotherapy together with radiation therapy may kill more tumor cells. PURPOSE: This phase II trial is studying how well giving chemotherapy together with radiation therapy after surgery followed by chemotherapy alone works in children with newly diagnosed astrocytoma, glioblastoma multiforme, gliosarcoma, or diffuse intrinsic pontine glioma.

RATIONALE: Radiation therapy uses high-energy x-rays to damage tumor cells. Drugs such as motexafin gadolinium may make the tumor cells more sensitive to radiation therapy. PURPOSE: Phase I trial to study the effectiveness motexafin gadolinium in treating patients with glioblastoma multiforme who are undergoing radiation therapy to the brain.

RATIONALE: Drugs used in chemotherapy, such as ABT-751, 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 of ABT-751 in treating young patients with refractory solid tumors.

RATIONALE: Biological therapies such as poly-ICLC use different ways to stimulate the immune system and stop tumor cells from growing. PURPOSE: This phase II trial is studying how poly-ICLC works in treating patients with recurrent, progressive, or relapsed anaplastic glioma.

RATIONALE: Drugs used in chemotherapy, such as ixabepilone, work in different ways to stop tumor cells from dividing so they stop growing or die. PURPOSE: This phase II trial is studying how well ixabepilone works in treating patients with metastatic germ cell tumors that are refractory to cisplatin.

RATIONALE: Radiation therapy uses high-energy x-rays to damage tumor cells. Giving radiation therapy in different ways may kill more tumor cells. PURPOSE: Phase II trial to study the effectiveness of radiation therapy in treating patients who are undergoing surgical removal of progressive or recurrent malignant brain tumors.

RATIONALE: Drugs used in chemotherapy use different ways to stop tumor cells from dividing so they stop growing or die. PURPOSE: This phase II trial is studying how well temozolomide works in treating patients with progressive low-grade 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. It is not yet known whether undergoing surgery plus radiation therapy is more effective with or without chemotherapy for primitive neuroectodermal tumors of the CNS. PURPOSE: Randomized phase III trial to compare the effectiveness of surgery plus radiation therapy with or without chemotherapy in treating patients who have primitive neuroectodermal tumors of the CNS.

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 I trial to study the effectiveness of carmustine plus O(6)-benzylguanine in treating patients who have recurrent or progressive gliomas of the brain.