Lobradimil and Carboplatin in Treating Children With Brain Tumors

Inclusion Criteria

• •DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:
• •Histologically confirmed childhood brain tumor that is recurrent or refractory or for which no standard chemotherapy exists
• •* High-grade glioma (anaplastic astrocytoma or glioblastoma multiforme) (High-grade glioma stratum closed to accrual as of 01/08/2002)
• •* Low-grade glioma
• •* Medulloblastoma/primitive neuroectodermal tumor (PNET)
• •* Ependymoma
• •* Brainstem tumor or visual pathway glioma (with radiographic evidence only) (Brainstem glioma stratum closed to accrual as of 12/21/2000)
• •Evidence of recurrent or progressive disease after front-line therapy documented as an increase in tumor size or appearance of new lesion(s) on MRI
• •Patients who did not previously receive radiotherapy as front-line therapy are eligible at time of second recurrence if the first recurrence was treated with radiotherapy only
• •Measurable disease in at least 2 dimensions by MRI
• •* Diffuse meningeal involvement not considered measurable if it is the only site of disease
• •Disease must not be limited to the meninges
• •No metastases outside of the CNS
• •PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:
• •Age:
• •21 and under at diagnosis
• •Performance status:
• •ECOG 0-2
• •Life expectancy:
• •At least 8 weeks
• •Hematopoietic:
• •Absolute granulocyte count at least 1,000/mm\^3
• •Hemoglobin at least 8.0 g/dL (transfusion allowed)
• •Platelet count at least 100,000/mm\^3
• •Hepatic:
• •Bilirubin less than 1.5 times upper limit of normal (ULN)
• •SGPT no greater than 2.5 times ULN
• •No significant hepatic illness
• •Renal:
• •Creatinine within limits as defined below by age:
• •* Age 5 and under: less than 1.2 mg/dL
• •* Age 6 to 10: less than 1.5 mg/dL
• •* Age 11 to 15: less than 1.8 mg/dL
• •* Age 16 and over: less than 2.4 mg/dL
• •Cardiovascular:
• •No significant cardiac illness
• •Pulmonary:
• •No significant pulmonary illness
• •Other:
• •No significant systemic illness or organ dysfunction that would preclude study
• •No allergic reaction to platinum-containing compounds
• •Not pregnant or nursing
• •Negative pregnancy test
• •Fertile patients must use effective contraception
• •PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:
• •Biologic therapy:
• •At least 72 hours since filgrastim (G-CSF)
• •No concurrent biologic therapy for brain tumor
• •Chemotherapy:
• •See Disease Characteristics
• •No prior carboplatin or lobradimil
• •No more than 1 prior chemotherapy regimen for high-grade glioma, low-grade glioma, or ependymoma
• •No more than 2 prior chemotherapy regimens for medulloblastoma/PNET
• •At least 4 weeks since prior nitrosoureas (2 weeks if also received stem cell/bone marrow rescue)
• •At least 2 weeks since any other prior myelosuppressive chemotherapy and recovered
• •No other concurrent chemotherapy for brain tumor
• •Endocrine therapy:
• •Concurrent corticosteroids for management of tumor-related edema allowed
• •Radiotherapy:
• •See Disease Characteristics
• •At least 6 weeks since prior radiotherapy to measurable disease and recovered
• •No concurrent radiotherapy for brain tumor
• •Surgery:
• •No concurrent surgery except for ventriculo-peritoneal shunt placement or revision
• •Other:
• •At least 24 hours since prior vasodilating agents, angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors, calcium channel blockers, or beta-blockers