O6-benzylguanine and Carmustine in Treating Children With Refractory CNS Tumors

Inclusion Criteria

• •DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:
• •Histologically or cytologically proven CNS tumor that is refractory to conventional therapy or for which no effective therapy is known
• •Histological requirement may be waived for brainstem and optic gliomas
• •Stratum 2: No bone marrow involvement
• •PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:
• •Age: 21 and under
• •Performance status: Karnofsky 50-100% OR Lansky 50-100%
• •Life expectancy: At least 8 weeks
• •Absolute neutrophil count at least 1500/mm3
• •Platelet count at least 100,000/mm3 (stratum 2: at least 125,000/mm3)
• •Hemoglobin at least 8 g/dL
• •Bilirubin less than 1.5 mg/dL
• •SGOT/SGPT no greater than 2.5 times normal
• •Creatinine or GFR normal for age
• •If required, DLCO must be 80% of normal and patient old enough to cooperate for DLCO test
• •Neurologic deficits must be stable for at least 2 weeks prior to study
• •Not pregnant or nursing
• •Negative pregnancy test
• •Fertile patients must use effective contraception during and for 6 months after study
• •PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:
• •At least 7 days since prior biologic therapy or immunotherapy and recovered
• •At least 6 months since prior bone marrow transplant (stratum 1 only)
• •At least 7 days since prior growth factors
• •No concurrent filgrastim (G-CSF) prophylaxis
• •Stratum 2: No prior bone marrow transplantation
• •At least 2 weeks since prior myelosuppressive chemotherapy (6 weeks for nitrosourea) and recovered
• •Stratum 2: No greater than 2 prior chemotherapy regimens
• •No prior nitrosourea therapy
• •If receiving dexamethasone, must be on stable or decreasing dose for at least 2 weeks prior to study
• •At least 2 weeks since prior local palliative radiotherapy (small port)
• •At least 6 months since prior substantial bone marrow radiation, total body irradiation, hemipelvic radiotherapy, or total abdominal/pelvic/chest or mantle/Y ports radiotherapy
• •Recovered from prior radiotherapy
• •Stratum 2: No prior central axis radiation
• •No other concurrent anticancer or investigational agents