Immunotoxin Therapy in Treating Patients With Malignant Glioma

RATIONALE: Immunotoxins can locate tumor cells and kill them without harming normal cells. This may be an effective treatment for malignant glioma. PURPOSE: Phase I/II trial to study the effectiveness of immunotoxin therapy in treating patients who have malignant glioma.

OBJECTIVES: * Determine the toxic effects and maximum tolerated dose (MTD) of interstitial interleukin-13 PE38QQR immunotoxin in patients with malignant glioma. * Determine the response rate, duration of response, time to response, overall survival, and time to progression in patients treated with this regimen. * Determine the toxic effects of this drug at the MTD in these patients. OUTLINE: This is a dose-escalation, multicenter study. Patients undergo stereotactic biopsy of brain tumor followed by CT guided stereotactic placement of 2 intratumoral catheters on day 0. Patients with histologically confirmed malignant glioma receive interleukin-13 PE38QQR immunotoxin interstitially over 96 hours beginning on day 1. Patients with a residual enhancing mass undergo repeat catheter placement on day 56 and then receive a second interstitial infusion beginning on day 57 in the absence of disease progression or unacceptable toxicity. Cohorts of 3-6 patients receive escalating doses of interleukin-13 PE38QQR immunotoxin until the maximum tolerated dose (MTD) is determined. The MTD is defined as the dose at which 2 of 6 patients experience dose-limiting toxicity. Additional patients are treated at the MTD. Patients are followed every 8 weeks. PROJECTED ACCRUAL: A maximum of 30 patients will be accrued for phase I of the study within 6 months and a total of 12-35 patients will be accrued for phase II of the study within 10-12 months.