Combination Chemotherapy Followed by Peripheral Stem Cell Transplantation or Bone Marrow Transplantation in Treating Patients With Brain Cancer

You may be eligible if

• DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:
• Diagnosis of one of the following malignant brain tumors:
• * Anaplastic astrocytoma
• * Glioblastoma multiforme
• * Anaplastic oligodendroglioma
• * Medulloblastoma
• * High-grade ependymoma
• * Germ cell tumors
• * Pineoblastoma
• * Other primitive neuroectodermal tumors
• Recurrent disease or resistant to conventional therapy (e.g., surgery, radiotherapy, or standard chemotherapy)
• * No prior myeloablative doses of thiotepa OR
• Newly diagnosed malignant glioma with minimal residual disease after prior radiotherapy
• * Minimal residual disease is defined as tumor with maximum diameter of less than 1.5 cm by MRI and no corticosteroid dependency
• PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:
• Age:
• Over 1 to under 50
• Performance status:
• Karnofsky 70-100% OR
• Lansky 70-100%
• Life expectancy:
• More than 12 weeks
• Hematopoietic:
• Absolute neutrophil count at least 1,500/mm3
• Platelet count at least 100,000/mm3
• Hemoglobin at least 10 g/dL (transfusion allowed)
• Hepatic:
• Bilirubin less than 1.5 times upper limit of normal (ULN)
• SGOT/SGPT less than 2.5 times ULN
• Alkaline phosphatase less than 2.5 times ULN
• Renal:
• Creatinine less than 1.5 times ULN
• Creatinine clearance at least 70 mL/min
• BUN less than 1.5 times ULN
• Cardiovascular:
• Ejection fraction greater than 50% OR
• Shortening fraction greater than 27%
• No evidence of myocardial ischemia on EKG if over 40 years of age
• Other:
• HIV negative
• No AIDS-related illness
• No frequent vomiting or medical condition that would preclude oral medication (e.g., partial bowel obstruction)
• No other malignancy within the past 2 years except surgically cured carcinoma in situ of the cervix or basal cell or squamous cell skin cancer
• Not pregnant or nursing
• Negative pregnancy test
• Fertile patients must use effective contraception
• PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:
• Biologic therapy:
• At least 2 weeks since prior biologic therapy or immunotherapy
• Chemotherapy:
• See Disease Characteristics
• At least 4 weeks since prior chemotherapy (6 weeks for nitrosoureas or mitomycin) and recovered
• Endocrine therapy:
• See Disease Characteristics
• Radiotherapy:
• See Disease Characteristics
• At least 6 weeks since prior radiotherapy and recovered
• At least 6 weeks since prior brachytherapy or radiosurgery
• Surgery:
• See Disease Characteristics
• Recovered from prior major surgery