Tamoxifen, Carboplatin, and Topotecan in Treating Patients With CNS Metastases or Recurrent Brain or Spinal Cord Tumors

You may be eligible if

• DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:
• Diagnosis of 1 of the following:
• * Epithelial neoplasms metastatic to the central nervous system
• * Recurrent or refractory to prior chemotherapeutic or radiotherapeutic regimens or for which no standard chemotherapy or whole brain radiotherapy regimens exist
• * Stage IV disease
• * Recurrent glial tumors (brain or spinal cord)
• Received prior whole brain radiotherapy or stereotactic radiotherapy OR refused radiotherapy
• * Patients with CNS metastases previously treated with radiotherapy are eligible, provided persistent or progressive CNS metastases are documented by MRI eight weeks after the end of radiotherapy
• * Patients with glial tumors must show progressive disease by MRI after prior radiotherapy
• Measurable disease in the brain/leptomeninges of the brain or spinal cord with baseline documentation within 4 weeks of study entry
• * Must have ≥ 1 lesion that is ≥ 1 cm on MRI scan
• Ineligible for or has refused participation in higher priority institutional protocols
• PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:
• Karnofsky performance status 50-100%
• Life expectancy ≥ 2 months
• Creatinine ≤ 1.5 mg/dL
• WBC 4,000/mm³ OR ANC ≥ 2,000/mm³
• Platelet count ≥ 150,000/mm³
• Bilirubin ≤ 1.5 mg/dL
• ALT and AST \< 2 times upper limit of normal
• Not pregnant
• Negative pregnancy test
• Fertile patients must use effective contraception
• No nonmalignant concurrent illness (e.g., cardiovascular or pulmonary) that is either poorly controlled with currently available treatment or of such severity to preclude study entry
• No severe infection
• Patients who are ineligible for lumbar puncture are allowed
• PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:
• See Disease Characteristics
• At least 3 weeks since prior radiotherapy, immunotherapy, or chemotherapy OR recovered from expected side effects of prior therapy
• No patients who are recovering from major surgery
• No concurrent radiotherapy
• Concurrent steroid or anticonvulsant therapy allowed