Carmustine Implants in Treating Patients With Brain Metastases

You may be eligible if

• DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:
• Supratentorial brain metastases for which surgery is recommended
• * Solitary, unilateral, intracranial mass consistent with metastasis on MRI scan OR
• * Two brain lesions consistent with metastases on MRI scan
• * Lesions must be accessible through a single craniotomy
• * Metastatic lesions clearly distinct from tumor bed of any benign lesions
• * Intraoperative frozen section diagnosis of metastatic tumor from CNS lesion
• No prior malignant intracranial neoplasm
• No lesion(s) in the brainstem
• No open communication of the resection cavity with the ventricle following resection
• PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:
• Age
• 18 and over
• Performance status
• Karnofsky 60-100%
• Life expectancy
• At least 3 months
• Hematopoietic
• No concurrent hematologic disorders
• Hepatic
• No concurrent hepatic disease
• Renal
• No concurrent renal disease
• Cardiovascular
• No concurrent cardiac disease
• Pulmonary
• No concurrent pulmonary disorders
• Other
• Not pregnant or nursing
• Fertile patients must use effective contraception
• Mini mental score at least 15
• No known hypersensitivity to carmustine or Gliadel wafers
• No other serious concurrent medical illness or infection
• PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:
• Biologic therapy
• Not specified
• Chemotherapy
• Not specified
• Endocrine therapy
• Not specified
• Radiotherapy
• No prior cranial irradiation
• Surgery
• See Disease Characteristics
• No prior surgery involving brain metastases or primary brain tumor(s) (except for benign intracranial lesions such as pituitary adenoma, meningioma, or schwannoma)
• Other
• Concurrent systemic therapy allowed