Irinotecan in Treating Children With Refractory or Progressive Solid Tumors

You may be eligible if

• DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:
• Histologically or cytologically confirmed solid tumor refractory to standard therapy or for which no known effective therapy exists
• * Brain tumors eligible
• * Histologic verification waived for brain stem gliomas
• Evaluable disease
• No bone marrow involvement
• PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:
• Age:
• 1 to 21
• Performance status:
• Karnofsky 50-100% (over age 10)
• Lansky 50-100% (age 10 and under)
• Life expectancy:
• At least 8 weeks
• Hematopoietic:
• Absolute neutrophil count at least 1,500/mm\^3
• Platelet count at least 100,000/mm\^3
• Hemoglobin at least 8 g/dL
• Hepatic:
• Bilirubin less than 1.5 mg/dL
• SGPT less than 5 times normal
• Renal:
• Creatinine normal OR
• Glomerular filtration rate at least 70 mL/min
• Other:
• No uncontrolled infection
• Not pregnant or nursing
• Negative pregnancy test
• Fertile patients must use effective contraception during and for 6 months after study
• PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:
• Biologic therapy:
• At least 6 months since prior autologous bone marrow transplantation (BMT) (not including stem cell rescue after high-dose chemotherapy)
• At least 1 week since prior growth factors
• No prior BMT with total body irradiation (stratum I)
• No prior BMT with or without total body irradiation (stratum 2)
• No prior allogeneic BMT (all strata)
• No concurrent sargramostim (GM-CSF)
• No other concurrent prophylactic growth factor support during the first course of therapy
• Chemotherapy:
• At least 3 weeks since prior myelosuppressive chemotherapy (6 weeks for nitrosoureas)
• No prior irinotecan
• No more than 2 prior multi-agent chemotherapy regimens (stratum 2)
• No other concurrent chemotherapy
• Endocrine therapy:
• Concurrent dexamethasone allowed if on stable or decreasing dose for at least 2 weeks prior to study
• Radiotherapy:
• At least 6 months since prior craniospinal radiotherapy or radiotherapy to 50% or more of the pelvis
• At least 6 weeks since other prior substantial bone marrow radiotherapy
• No prior central axis radiotherapy, pelvic radiotherapy, and/or total abdominal radiotherapy (stratum 2)
• Surgery:
• Not specified
• Other:
• Recovered from all prior therapy
• No other concurrent investigational agents
• Concurrent enzyme-inducing anticonvulsants (e.g., phenytoin, phenobarbital, carbamazepine) allowed if on stable dose for at least 2 weeks prior to study (stratum 3)
• Concurrent valproic acid allowed if combined with another enzyme inducing anticonvulsant drug (stratum 3)