S0001 RT and Carmustine With or Without O6BG in Patients With New Glioblastoma Multiforme or Gliosarcoma

You may be eligible if

• DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:
• Histologically confirmed glioblastoma multiforme or gliosarcoma
• * Biopsy or surgical resection within the past 28 days
• * MRI\* with gadolinium performed before registration
• * Patients who undergo a simple biopsy only require preoperative MRI\* with gadolinium
• No more than 2 noncontiguous tumor sites based on T2-weighted MRI (in 3 dimensions)\*
• No prior radiotherapy-delivered cephalad to the interspace between the seventh cervical and the first thoracic vertebral body NOTE: \*If an MRI is not medically feasible, patients may have a CT scan with contrast
• PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:
• Age:
• 18 and over
• Performance status:
• Zubrod 0-2
• Life expectancy:
• Not specified
• Hematopoietic:
• Absolute neutrophil count at least 3,000/mm\^3
• Platelet count at least 100,000/mm\^3
• Hemoglobin at least 8 g/dL
• Hepatic:
• Bilirubin no greater than 2 times upper limit of normal (ULN)
• SGOT/SGPT no greater than 2 times ULN
• Alkaline phosphatase no greater than 2 times ULN
• PT/PTT no greater than 1.2 times ULN
• Renal:
• Not specified
• Cardiac:
• No severe cardiac disease, including any of the following:
• * Uncontrolled arrhythmias or conduction defects
• * Major problems with edema (e.g., residual swelling in the legs from deep vein thrombosis)
• * Recent coronary artery disease
• * Poorly controlled hypertension (i.e., diastolic blood pressure greater than 110 mm Hg and/or systolic blood pressure greater than 180 mm Hg)
• Pulmonary:
• DLCO at least 70% of predicted
• No severe pulmonary disease
• Other:
• HIV negative
• No severe Cushing's syndrome
• No known allergies to any of the study drugs
• No major psychiatric illness
• No poorly controlled diabetes complicated by steroid treatment
• No other medical illness that cannot be adequately controlled or that would preclude study participation
• No other malignancy within the past 5 years except adequately treated basal cell or squamous cell skin cancer, carcinoma in situ of the cervix, or adequately treated stage I or II cancer currently in complete remission
• Not pregnant or nursing
• Fertile patients must use effective contraception
• PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:
• Biologic therapy:
• Not specified
• Chemotherapy:
• No prior chemotherapy
• No other concurrent antitumor chemotherapy
• Endocrine therapy:
• No concurrent hormonal therapy except postmenopausal estrogen replacement therapy
• Corticosteroids at stable or decreasing dose for tumor edema allowed
• Radiotherapy:
• See Disease Characteristics
• No prior radiotherapy
• No other concurrent radiotherapy (including intensity-modulated radiotherapy) to the index lesion(s)
• Surgery:
• See Disease Characteristics
• No concurrent antitumor surgery
• Other:
• No other concurrent investigational drugs
• No other concurrent antineoplastic drugs or therapy