Radiation Therapy With or Without Chemotherapy in Treating Patients With Anaplastic Oligodendroglioma

You may be eligible if

• DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:
• Histologically proven unifocal or multifocal, supratentorial, pure or mixed anaplastic oligodendroglioma
• * Prior suspected or proven low-grade glioma allowed if current histologic proof of pure or mixed anaplastic oligodendroglioma
• Tumor must contain an unequivocal (at least 25%) oligodendroglial element and have 2 or more anaplastic features, 1 of which must be frequent mitoses or endothelial proliferation
• * For mixed tumors, the non-oligodendroglial element must be astrocytic and the oligodendroglial or astroglial component may be anaplastic
• No evidence of spinal drop metastasis or spread to noncontiguous meninges
• * MRI of spine not required for asymptomatic patients and patients not excluded based on pathologic evidence of local meningeal infiltration by underlying tumor
• No tumor that is predominantly located in the posterior fossa (i.e., brainstem or cerebellum)
• No spinal cord tumors
• PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:
• Age:
• 18 and over
• Performance status:
• Karnofsky 60-100%
• Life expectancy:
• Not specified
• Hematopoietic:
• Absolute granulocyte count at least 1,500/mm\^3
• Platelet count at least 150,000/mm\^3
• Hepatic:
• Bilirubin no greater than 2 times normal
• Serum glutamate oxaloacetate transaminase (SGOT) no greater than 2 times normal
• Alkaline phosphatase no greater than 2 times normal
• Renal:
• Creatinine no greater than 1.5 times normal
• Pulmonary:
• No chronic lung disease unless diffusion capacity of lung for carbon monoxide (DLCO) is at least 60% predicted
• Other:
• No active infection
• No other malignancy within the past 5 years except nonmelanomatous skin cancer or carcinoma in situ of the cervix
• Not pregnant or nursing
• Negative pregnancy test
• Fertile patients must use effective contraception
• PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:
• Biologic therapy:
• Not specified
• Chemotherapy:
• No prior chemotherapy
• Endocrine therapy:
• No concurrent steroids as antiemetics
• Concurrent steroids allowed to control central nervous system (CNS) symptoms due to tumor-associated or radiotherapy-associated cerebral edema
• Radiotherapy:
• No prior radiotherapy to brain or head/neck
• Surgery:
• Prior surgery allowed