Computer Planned Radiation Therapy Plus Chemotherapy in Treating Patients With Glioblastoma Multiforme

Inclusion Criteria

• •DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:
• •Histologically confirmed glioblastoma multiforme with areas of necrosis as diagnosed by surgical biopsy or subtotal excision
• •* Supratentorial tumor
• •Gross measurable residual disease
• •No well-differentiated or anaplastic astrocytoma, multifocal glioma, or recurrent glioblastoma multiforme
• •Therapy must begin within 5 weeks after surgery but within 1 week after registration
• •CT or MRI scan preoperatively and MRI postoperatively prior to initiation of radiotherapy
• •* If undergoing a stereotactic-guided needle biopsy, not required to repeat MRI after procedure if the prebiopsy MRI is suitable for treatment planning
• •Prior complete surgical resection of tumor allowed
• •PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:
• •Age:
• •18 and over
• •Performance status:
• •Karnofsky 60-100%
• •Life expectancy:
• •Not specified
• •Hematopoietic:
• •Absolute neutrophil count at least 1,500/mm\^3
• •Platelet count at least 100,000/mm\^3
• •Hemoglobin at least 9 g/dL
• •Hepatic:
• •Bilirubin no greater than 2 mg/dL
• •SGPT (serum glutamate pyruvate transaminase) or SGOT (serum glutamic oxaloacetic transaminase) no greater than 2 times normal
• •Renal:
• •BUN (blood urea nitrogen) no greater than 30 mg/dL
• •Creatinine no greater than 1.8 mg/dL
• •Pulmonary:
• •Normal chest x-ray OR
• •DLCO (carbon monoxide diffusing capacity) at least 60% predicted
• •Other:
• •Not pregnant
• •Negative pregnancy test
• •Fertile patients must use effective contraception
• •No other malignancy within the past 5 years except carcinoma in situ of the cervix or bladder, ductal carcinoma in situ of the breast, or nonmelanomatous skin cancer
• •Neurologic functional status 0-3
• •No major medical illness or psychiatric impairments that would preclude study participation
• •PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:
• •Biologic therapy:
• •Not specified
• •Chemotherapy:
• •No prior systemic chemotherapy
• •Endocrine therapy:
• •Not specified
• •Radiotherapy:
• •No prior radiotherapy to head or neck
• •Surgery:
• •See Disease Characteristics