Surgery Followed by Radiation Therapy in Treating Patients With Newly Diagnosed Glioblastoma Multiforme

You may be eligible if

• DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:
• Clinically suspected supratentorial grade IV glioblastoma multiforme
• Candidate for maximal surgical resection of tumor mass
• * Expected residual enhancing tumor must be within the expected brachytherapy treatment volume
• * Resection must not be expected to result in a new permanent neurologic deficit
• No clearly multi-focal disease (2 or more separate foci of contrast-enhancing tumor not all within the expected brachytherapy prescription volume by MRI)
• No enhancing tumor greater than 1 cm beyond the midline by MRI
• No grossly or radiographically apparent leptomeningeal spread and/or ventricular invasion outside the anticipated radiation treatment volume
• No marked edema by MRI with significant shift that is not anticipated to be corrected by resection
• PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:
• Age
• 18 and over
• Performance status
• Karnofsky 60-100%
• Life expectancy
• Not specified
• Hematopoietic
• Absolute neutrophil count at least 1,500/mm\^3
• Platelet count at least 100,000/mm\^3
• Hepatic
• Not specified
• Renal
• Creatinine no greater than 1.7 mg/dL
• BUN no greater than 2 times upper limit of normal
• Cardiovascular
• No uncontrolled hypertension
• No unstable angina pectoris
• No uncontrolled cardiac dysrhythmia
• Other
• Not pregnant or nursing
• Negative pregnancy test
• Fertile patients must use effective contraception
• Mini mental state exam score at least 15
• No other concurrent medical illness that would preclude study participation
• No concurrent serious infection
• No other malignancy within the past 5 years except curatively treated carcinoma in situ of the cervix or nonmelanoma skin cancer
• PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:
• Biologic therapy
• No immunotherapy prior to, during, or within 90 days after brachytherapy
• No biologic therapy with any of the following prior to, during, or within 90 days after brachytherapy :
• * Immunotoxins
• * Immunoconjugates
• * Antiangiogenesis compounds
• * Peptide receptor antagonists
• * Interferons
• * Interleukins
• * Tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes
• * Lymphokine-activated killer cells
• * Gene therapy
• * Antisense agents
• Chemotherapy
• No chemotherapy or polifeprosan 20 with carmustine implant (Gliadel wafers) prior to, during, or within 90 days after brachytherapy
• Endocrine therapy
• No hormonal therapy prior to, during, or within 90 days after brachytherapy
• Concurrent corticosteroids to improve quality of life allowed
• Radiotherapy
• No other radiotherapy prior to, during, or within 90 days after brachytherapy
• Surgery
• See Disease Characteristics
• No radiosurgery prior to, during, or within 90 days after brachytherapy
• Other
• No other investigational agents directed at the brain tumor prior to, during, or within 90 days after brachytherapy
• Concurrent noncytotoxic therapy to improve quality of life allowed