S9624 Ifosfamide in Treating Patients With Meningeal Tumors

You may be eligible if

• DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:
• Histologically proven recurrent or unresectable:
• Malignant meningioma
• Intracranial hemangiopericytoma
• Primary central nervous system sarcoma, including:
• Fibrosarcoma
• Rhabdomyosarcoma
• Chondrosarcoma
• Leiomyosarcoma
• Measurable or evaluable disease on CT or MRI scan
• Persistent disease following biopsy or incomplete resection OR
• Recurrent disease following complete resection
• No benign meningioma
• No prior or current systemic sarcoma
• PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:
• Age:
• 18 and over
• Performance status:
• SWOG 0-2
• Life expectancy:
• Not specified
• Hematopoietic:
• WBC at least 3,000/mm\^3
• Absolute granulocyte count at least 1,500/mm\^3
• Platelet count at least 100,000/mm\^3
• Hepatic:
• Not specified
• Renal:
• Creatinine no greater than 2.0 mg/dL
• Cardiovascular:
• No myocardial infarction within the past 3 months
• No active angina
• No unstable heart rhythms
• No congestive heart failure
• Other:
• HIV negative
• No allergy to study drugs
• No serious concurrent medical or psychiatric illness
• No uncontrolled peptic ulcer disease
• No prior malignancy within past 5 years except adequately treated:
• Basal or squamous cell carcinoma of the skin
• Carcinoma in situ of the cervix
• Not pregnant or nursing
• Effective contraception required of fertile patients
• PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:
• Recovered from toxic effects of prior therapy and/or from postoperative complications
• Biologic therapy:
• Not specified
• Chemotherapy:
• No prior ifosfamide
• No other concurrent chemotherapy
• Endocrine therapy:
• No concurrent hormonal therapy (except estrogen replacement therapy)
• Corticosteroids allowed if dose is stable or decreasing
• Radiotherapy:
• At least 4 weeks since prior radiotherapy
• Progressive disease following radiation required
• No concurrent radiotherapy
• Surgery:
• See Disease Characteristics