Combination Chemotherapy Plus Radiation Therapy in Treating Adult Patients With Brain Cancer

You may be eligible if

• DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:
• Histologically confirmed central nervous system cancer including:
• * Medulloblastoma with either local residual disease of greater than 1 cm\^2 on MRI following resection or evidence of metastases (M1-4)
• * Other primitive neuroectodermal tumors
• * Ependymoma with evidence of subarachnoid metastases
• Must have less than 1 cm of midline shift or no acute elevated intercranial pressure
• PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:
• Age:
• 18 and over
• Performance status:
• ECOG 0-2
• Life expectancy:
• Not specified
• Hematopoietic:
• WBC greater than 4,000/mm\^3
• Platelet count greater than 125,000/mm\^3
• Hemoglobin greater than 10 g/dL
• No preexisting hematologic condition that would increase toxicity or limit ability to comply with evaluations and follow-up
• Hepatic:
• Bilirubin less than 2 times upper limit of normal (ULN)
• SGOT less than 2 times ULN
• Alkaline phosphatase less than 2 times ULN
• No preexisting hepatic condition that would increase toxicity or limit ability to comply with evaluations and follow-up
• Renal:
• Creatinine greater than 70 mL/min
• No preexisting renal condition that would increase toxicity or limit ability to comply with evaluations and follow-up
• Pulmonary:
• No history of significant pulmonary disease or, if there is preexisting pulmonary disease, then DLCO greater than 60% of predicted
• No preexisting pulmonary condition that would increase toxicity or limit ability to comply with evaluations and follow-up
• Other:
• No preexisting psychiatric condition that would increase toxicity or limit ability to comply with evaluations and follow-up
• No prior or concurrent malignancies within the past 5 years except curatively treated carcinoma in situ of the cervix or basal cell or squamous cell skin cancer
• Not pregnant or nursing
• Fertile patients must use effective contraception
• PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:
• Biologic therapy:
• Not specified
• Chemotherapy:
• No prior chemotherapy
• Endocrine therapy:
• No increasing doses of steroids for intracranial disease within 3 days of registration
• Radiotherapy:
• No prior radiotherapy
• Surgery:
• 10-28 days since prior surgical resection OR
• At least 5 days since prior biopsy