Talampanel in Treating Patients With Recurrent High-Grade Glioma

You may be eligible if

• DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:
• Histologically confirmed high-grade glioma, including any of the following:
• * Glioblastoma multiforme
• * Anaplastic astrocytoma
• * Anaplastic oligodendroglioma
• * Anaplastic mixed oligoastrocytoma
• * Malignant astrocytoma not otherwise specified
• * Patients with clinical and radiographic diagnosis of brain stem glioma are also eligible
• Evidence of tumor progression by MRI or CT scan
• * Scan must be performed while patient is on a stable steroid dose for at least 5 days
• Must have failed prior radiotherapy
• Residual disease after prior resection of recurrent or progressive tumor is allowed
• PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:
• Age
• 18 and over
• Performance status
• Karnofsky 60-100%
• Life expectancy
• More than 8 weeks
• Hematopoietic
• Absolute neutrophil count greater than 1,500/mm\^3
• Platelet count at least 100,000/mm\^3 (transfusion independent)
• Hemoglobin at least 10 g/dL (transfusion allowed)
• Hepatic
• Bilirubin less than 2 times upper limit of normal (ULN)
• SGOT less than 2 times ULN
• No significant active hepatic disease
• Renal
• Creatinine less than 1.5 mg/dL OR
• Creatinine clearance at least 60 mL/min
• No significant active renal disease
• Cardiac
• No significant active cardiac disease
• Other
• Not pregnant or nursing
• Negative pregnancy test
• Fertile patients must use 2 effective methods of contraception during and for 2 months after study participation
• Able to swallow whole capsules
• No active infection requiring IV antibiotics
• No significant active psychiatric disease that would preclude use of the study drug
• No other significant uncontrolled medical illness that would preclude study participation
• No other active life-threatening malignancy
• PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:
• Biologic therapy
• At least 1 week since prior interferon or thalidomide
• No concurrent anticancer immunotherapy
• Chemotherapy
• At least 2 weeks since prior vincristine
• At least 3 weeks since prior procarbazine
• At least 6 weeks since prior nitrosoureas
• No other concurrent anticancer chemotherapy
• Endocrine therapy
• See Disease Characteristics
• At least 1 week since prior tamoxifen
• Concurrent steroids for the control of increased intracranial pressure allowed
• Radiotherapy
• See Disease Characteristics
• At least 4 weeks since prior radiotherapy
• No concurrent anticancer radiotherapy
• Surgery
• See Disease Characteristics
• Prior recent resection of recurrent or progressive disease allowed
• Other
• Recovered from all prior therapy
• At least 1 week since prior noncytotoxic agents (e.g., isotretinoin), except for radiosensitizers
• At least 4 weeks since prior investigational agents
• At least 4 weeks since prior cytotoxic therapy
• No other concurrent investigational agents