Irinotecan in Treating Children With Refractory or Advanced Solid Tumors Who Are Receiving Anticonvulsants

Inclusion Criteria

• •DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:
• •Histologically confirmed malignancy refractory to conventional therapy or for which no conventional therapy exists
• •* Histologic confirmation not required for brain stem tumors
• •Concurrently on anticonvulsants at a steady level for at least 2 weeks
• •PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:
• •Age:
• •1-21 years old
• •Performance status:
• •Karnofsky 50-100% (over 10 years of age)
• •Lansky 50-100% (10 years of age or under)
• •Life expectancy:
• •At least 8 weeks
• •Hematopoietic:
• •Neutrophil count at least 1,000/mm3
• •Platelet count at least 100,000/mm3 (transfusion independent)
• •Hemoglobin at least 8.0 g/dL (red blood cell transfusions allowed)
• •Hepatic:
• •Bilirubin no greater than 1.5 times normal for age
• •SGPT less than 5 times normal for age
• •Albumin at least 2 g/dL
• •Renal:
• •Creatinine no greater than 1.5 times normal for age OR
• •Creatinine clearance or radioisotope glomerular filtration rate at least lower limit of normal for age
• •Other:
• •Not pregnant or nursing
• •Negative pregnancy test
• •Fertile patients must use effective contraception
• •No uncontrolled infection
• •No evidence of active graft-vs-host disease
• •Neurologic deficits for CNS tumors stable for at least 2 weeks prior to study
• •PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:
• •Biologic therapy:
• •At least 1 week since prior antineoplastic biologic therapy
• •At least 6 months since prior allogeneic stem cell transplantation
• •At least 1 week since prior growth factors
• •No concurrent sargramostim (GM-CSF)
• •No concurrent prophylactic growth factors during first course of study therapy
• •Recovered from prior immunotherapy
• •Chemotherapy:
• •At least 2 weeks since prior myelosuppressive chemotherapy (4 weeks for nitrosourea) and recovered
• •Endocrine therapy:
• •Concurrent dexamethasone for CNS tumors with increased intracranial pressure allowed if dose stable or decreasing for at least 2 weeks prior to study
• •Radiotherapy:
• •At least 2 weeks since prior local palliative radiotherapy (small part)
• •At least 6 months since prior craniospinal radiotherapy
• •At least 6 months since prior radiotherapy to at least 50% of pelvis
• •At least 6 weeks since prior substantial bone marrow radiotherapy
• •Recovered from prior radiotherapy
• •Surgery:
• •Not specified
• •Other:
• •No other concurrent investigational agent