Carmustine in Treating Patients With Progressive or Recurrent Glioblastoma Multiforme

Inclusion Criteria

• •DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:
• •Histologically proven supratentorial malignant glioblastoma multiforme
• •* Clear evidence of disease progression by MRI
• •* Unresectable tumor that has spherical, spheroid, or ovoid shape (not multicentric or multilobulated)
• •* Central necrosis and/or central cystic areas allowed in the presence of enhancing rim thickness greater than 5 mm
• •* No brainstem (pons or medulla) or midbrain (mesencephalon) involvement
• •* No involvement of primary sensorimotor cortex in the dominant hemisphere or within 1.5 cm of the optic chiasm, either optic nerve, or any other cranial nerve
• •* No tumor extension into the ventricular system
• •* Tumor volume no greater than 33.4 cm3
• •At least one prior radiotherapy
• •PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:
• •Age:
• •18 to 75
• •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
• •No evidence of bleeding diathesis
• •Hepatic:
• •Bilirubin no greater than 2.0 mg/dL
• •SGOT/SGPT no greater than 2.5 times normal
• •Renal:
• •Creatinine no greater than 2.0 mg/dL OR
• •Creatinine clearance at least 40 mL/min
• •BUN no greater than 30 mg/dL
• •Other:
• •Not pregnant or nursing
• •Negative pregnancy test
• •Fertile patients must use effective contraception
• •No active uncontrolled infection
• •Afebrile unless fever due to presence of tumor
• •No other concurrent serious medical or psychiatric illness that would preclude study
• •PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:
• •Biologic therapy:
• •Not specified
• •Chemotherapy:
• •At least 4 weeks since prior chemotherapy (6 weeks for nitrosoureas or mitomycin including Gliadel wafer therapy) and recovered
• •Endocrine therapy:
• •Not specified
• •Radiotherapy:
• •See Disease Characteristics
• •At least 4 weeks since prior radiotherapy and recovered
• •No prior intracranial brachytherapy
• •Surgery:
• •Recovered from any prior surgery
• •Other:
• •No prior anticoagulants
• •No other concurrent investigational agents