Gefitinib Plus Temozolomide in Treating Patients With Malignant Primary Glioma

You may be eligible if

• DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:
• Histologically confirmed malignant primary glioma
• * Glioblastoma multiforme
• * Anaplastic astrocytoma
• * Anaplastic oligodendroglioma
• * Anaplastic mixed oligoastrocytoma
• * Malignant astrocytoma not otherwise specified
• Stable or progressive disease
• * Progressive disease after interstitial brachytherapy or stereotactic radiosurgery must be confirmed by positron emission tomography or thallium scan, magnetic resonance spectroscopy, or surgical biopsy
• Prior treatment for no more than 3 prior relapses allowed
• PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:
• Age:
• 18 and over
• Performance status:
• Karnofsky 60-100%
• Life expectancy:
• More than 8 weeks
• Hematopoietic:
• WBC greater than 3,000/mm\^3
• Absolute neutrophil count greater than 1,500/mm\^3
• Platelet count greater than 120,000/mm\^3
• Hemoglobin greater than 10 g/dL (transfusion allowed)
• Hepatic:
• Bilirubin less than 1.5 times upper limit of normal (ULN)
• SGOT less than 1.5 times ULN
• Renal:
• Creatinine less than 1.5 mg/dL OR
• Creatinine clearance greater than 60 mL/min
• Other:
• Not pregnant
• Negative pregnancy test
• Fertile patients must use effective contraception
• No active infection
• No other concurrent significant medical illness that would preclude study participation
• No significant gastrointestinal risk factors (e.g., active ulcerative colitis) within the past 6 months
• No other malignancy within the past 3 years except non-melanoma skin cancer or carcinoma in situ of the cervix
• PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:
• Biologic therapy:
• At least 1 week since prior interferon
• No concurrent filgrastim (G-CSF) during the first course of study therapy
• Chemotherapy:
• At least 2 weeks since prior vincristine
• At least 3 weeks since prior procarbazine
• At least 6 weeks since prior nitrosoureas
• Prior or concurrent temozolomide allowed if there is no evidence of progression while receiving therapy
• Endocrine therapy:
• At least 1 week since prior tamoxifen
• Must be on a stable dose of corticosteroids for at least 5 days
• Radiotherapy:
• See Disease Characteristics
• At least 3 weeks since prior radiotherapy
• Surgery:
• See Disease Characteristics
• At least 1 week since prior surgical resection
• Other:
• Recovered from all prior therapy
• No prior gefitinib
• At least 1 week since prior non-cytotoxic agents except radiosensitizers
• At least 4 weeks since prior cytotoxic therapy
• At least 4 weeks since prior investigational agents
• At least 3 years since prior therapy for other malignancy
• Concurrent therapeutic agents allowed at stable dosage
• Concurrent enzyme-inducing anti-epileptic drugs allowed if continued during study participation