S0330 Erlotinib in Treating Patients With Unresectable or Metastatic Malignant Peripheral Nerve Sheath Tumor

Inclusion Criteria

• •DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:
• •Histologically or cytologically confirmed malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumor
• •* Malignant schwannoma or neurofibrosarcoma
• •* Clinical evidence of unresectable or metastatic disease
• •Measurable disease
• •No known current CNS metastases
• •PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:
• •Age
• •18 and over
• •Performance status
• •Zubrod 0-2
• •Life expectancy
• •Not specified
• •Hematopoietic
• •Absolute neutrophil count greater than 1,500/mm\^3
• •Platelet count greater than 100,000/mm\^3
• •Hepatic
• •Bilirubin less than 1.5 times upper limit of normal (ULN)
• •SGOT or SGPT less than 1.5 times ULN (5 times ULN for patients with documented liver metastases)
• •Renal
• •Creatinine no greater than 1.5 times ULN
• •Creatinine clearance greater than 60 mL/min
• •Ophthalmic
• •No known history of any of the following corneal diseases:
• •* Dry eye syndrome
• •* Sjögren's syndrome
• •* Keratoconjunctivitis sicca
• •* Exposure keratopathy
• •* Fuch's dystrophy
• •No other active disorders of the cornea
• •Gastrointestinal
• •No gastrointestinal tract disease resulting in an inability to take oral medication or a requirement for IV alimentation
• •No active peptic ulcer disease
• •No intractable nausea or vomiting
• •Able to swallow medications OR receive enteral medications via gastrostomy feeding tube
• •Other
• •Not pregnant or nursing
• •Fertile patients must use effective contraception
• •No other malignancy within the past 5 years except adequately treated basal cell or squamous cell skin cancer, carcinoma in situ of the cervix, or adequately treated stage I or II cancer currently in complete remission
• •PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:
• •Biologic therapy
• •More than 28 days since prior biologic therapy for this malignancy
• •Chemotherapy
• •More than 28 days since prior chemotherapy for this malignancy
• •Endocrine therapy
• •Not specified
• •Radiotherapy
• •More than 60 days since prior radiotherapy to the target lesion with subsequent documented progression
• •More than 60 days since prior radiofrequency ablation to the target lesion with subsequent documented progression
• •No concurrent radiotherapy
• •Surgery
• •At least 3 weeks since prior major surgery and recovered
• •No prior surgical procedure affecting absorption
• •Other
• •More than 28 days since prior investigational drugs for this malignancy
• •More than 60 days since prior embolization to the target lesion with subsequent documented progression
• •No prior epidermal growth factor receptor-targeting therapy
• •No concurrent antiretroviral therapy for HIV-positive patients
• •No other concurrent investigational or commercial agents or therapies for the malignancy