Arsenic Trioxide in Treating Patients With Advanced Neuroblastoma or Other Childhood Solid Tumors

Inclusion Criteria

• •DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:
• •Histologically confirmed neuroblastoma or other pediatric solid tumor (nonmyeloid and nonlymphoid) including the following:
• •* Ewing's family of tumors/primitive neuroectodermal tumor
• •* Retinoblastoma
• •* Nephroblastoma
• •* Osteosarcoma
• •* Rhabdomyosarcoma
• •* Desmoplastic small round-cell tumor
• •* Hepatoblastoma
• •* Germ cell tumors
• •* Medulloblastoma
• •Relapsed from or resistant to prior standard anticancer therapy and/or no known standard therapy available
• •Measurable disease (e.g., solid mass with definable dimensions) OR
• •Evaluable disease (e.g., bone marrow involvement or malignant pleural effusion)
• •PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:
• •Age:
• •40 and under
• •Performance status:
• •Not specified
• •Life expectancy:
• •Not specified
• •Hematopoietic:
• •Not specified
• •Hepatic:
• •Bilirubin no greater than 2.5 times upper limit of normal (ULN)
• •Renal:
• •Creatinine no greater than 2.5 times ULN
• •Cardiovascular:
• •Absolute QT interval no greater than 460 msec in the presence of adequate potassium and magnesium levels
• •Other:
• •No pre-existing neurotoxicity/neuropathy grade 2 or greater
• •No pre-existing convulsive disorder
• •No active serious infections uncontrolled by antibiotics
• •Negative pregnancy test
• •Fertile patients must use effective contraception
• •PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:
• •Biologic therapy:
• •Not specified
• •Chemotherapy:
• •More than 3 weeks since prior cytotoxic chemotherapy
• •No other concurrent cytotoxic chemotherapy
• •Endocrine therapy:
• •Not specified
• •Radiotherapy:
• •Concurrent radiotherapy allowed provided measurable or evaluable disease exists outside radiation field
• •Surgery:
• •Not specified
• •Other:
• •No other concurrent investigational agents