Pyrazoloacridine Followed by Radiation Therapy in Treating Adults With Newly Diagnosed Supratentorial Glioblastoma Multiforme

You may be eligible if

• DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:
• Histologically proven, newly diagnosed, supratentorial, grade IV astrocytoma (glioblastoma multiforme)
• * Incompletely resected disease
• Must have measurable and contrast enhancing tumor on the postoperative MRI/CT scan
• 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
• Hepatic:
• Bilirubin no greater than 1.5 mg/dL
• Transaminases no greater than 4 times upper limit of normal
• Renal:
• Creatinine no greater than 1.7 mg/dL
• Other:
• No other serious concurrent infection or medical illness that would preclude study therapy
• No other active malignancy within the past 5 years except curatively treated carcinoma in situ of the cervix or basal cell skin cancer
• No psychosis requiring ongoing therapy with antipsychotic medication
• Mini mental score at least 15
• Not pregnant or nursing
• Negative pregnancy test
• Fertile patients must use effective contraception
• PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:
• Biologic therapy:
• No prior immunotherapy or biologic agents (including immunotoxins, immunoconjugates, antisense compounds, peptide receptor antagonists, interferons, interleukins, tumor infiltrating lymphocytes, lymphokine activated killer cells, or gene therapy) for glioblastoma multiforme
• No concurrent prophylactic growth factors (e.g., filgrastim \[G-CSF\] or sargramostim \[GM-CSF\])
• Chemotherapy:
• No prior chemotherapy for glioblastoma multiforme
• Endocrine therapy:
• No prior hormonal therapy for glioblastoma multiforme
• Prior glucocorticoids allowed
• Concurrent corticosteroids allowed if on stable dose (no increase within the past 5 days)
• Radiotherapy:
• No prior radiotherapy for glioblastoma multiforme
• Surgery:
• See Disease Characteristics
• Recovered from immediate postoperative period
• Other:
• Greater than 10 days since prior anticonvulsants that induce hepatic metabolic enzymes (e.g., phenytoin, carbamazepine, phenobarbital, primidone, or felbamate)
• No other concurrent investigational agents