Chemotherapy Plus Peripheral Stem Cell Transplant in Treating Patients With Central Nervous System Cancer

OBJECTIVES: * Determine the response rate in patients with central nervous system malignancies treated with intensive chemotherapy supported by autologous peripheral blood stem cell transplantation following surgical resection and/or radiotherapy. * Determine the disease-free survival and overall survival of this patient population treated with these regimens. * Determine the toxicity of this high-dose chemotherapy regimen in these patients. * Assess the quality of life of these patients following these treatment regimens. OUTLINE: Patients with anaplastic astrocytoma, esthesioneuroblastoma, germ cell tumor, or primary neuroectodermal tumor undergo initial surgical resection followed by conventional or stereotactic radiotherapy. Patients with germ cell or primary neuroectodermal tumors also receive 4 courses of standard chemotherapy comprising cyclophosphamide, etoposide, and cisplatin prior to high-dose chemotherapy. All patients undergo peripheral blood stem cell or bone marrow harvest followed by high-dose chemotherapy consolidation. Patients receive thiotepa IV 3 times daily on days -7 to -3, carmustine IV over 1 hour on days -6 to -3, and etoposide IV over 5 hours on days -6 to -3. Patients then undergo transplantation on day 0. Filgrastim (G-CSF) is administered concurrently with stem cell harvesting and transplantation. Patients with recurrent oligodendroglioma or CNS lymphoma who have not received radiotherapy at diagnosis undergo conventional radiotherapy 6 weeks after completion of high-dose chemotherapy. Patients are followed every 2-3 months for 1 year and then annually for 5 years. Quality of life is assessed at follow-up. PROJECTED ACCRUAL: A total of 30 patients will be accrued for this study over 3 years.