Vorinostat Combined With Isotretinoin and Chemotherapy in Treating Younger Patients With Embryonal Tumors of the Central Nervous System

PRIMARY OBJECTIVES: I. To investigate the feasibility of administering vorinostat (SAHA) and isotretinoin for three days prior and concomitant with cisplatin based chemotherapy over three courses of induction chemotherapy. II. To describe the toxicity of administering vorinostat (SAHA) and isotretinoin for three days prior and concomitant with cisplatin based chemotherapy over three courses of induction chemotherapy. III. To investigate prognostic values of histopathological classification and biological markers in the context of a feasibility study. SECONDARY OBJECTIVES: I. To estimate the preliminary response rate of this approach in patients with measurable residual disease (primary site and/or metastatic sites). II. To estimate disease specific progression-free and overall survival, in the context of a feasibility study. III. To explore the predictive values of biological markers in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), plasma, urine tumor material in the context of a feasibility study. OUTLINE: INDUCTION THERAPY: Patients receive vorinostat orally (PO) once daily (QD) and isotretinoin PO twice daily (BID) on days 1-4; vincristine sulfate intravenously (IV) on days 4, 11, and 18; cisplatin IV over 6 hours on day 4; cyclophosphamide IV over 1 hour on days 5-6; and etoposide phosphate IV over 1 hour on days 4-6. Treatment repeats every 21 days for 3 cycles in the absence of disease progression or unacceptable toxicity. Patients also undergo peripheral blood stem cell (PBSC) harvesting after each course. CONSOLIDATION THERAPY: Within 6 weeks (10 weeks if patient is re-staged) after completion of induction therapy, patients receive carboplatin IV over 2 hours and thiotepa IV over 2 hours on days 1-2. Patients also receive autologous PBSC rescue infusion over 6 hours on day 4. Treatment repeats every 28 days for 3 cycles in the absence of disease progression or unacceptable toxicity. Beginning 3 weeks later, patients with M0 non-desmoplastic medulloblastoma also undergo conformal radiotherapy\* to the tumor bed. NOTE: \*Patients with supratentorial primary tumors or metastatic disease undergo radiotherapy at the discretion of treating physician. MAINTENANCE THERAPY: Beginning 4 weeks after completion of radiotherapy or immediately after completion of consolidation therapy, patients receive vorinostat PO QD on days 1, 3, 5, 6, 8, 10, 12, and 13 and isotretinoin PO BID on days 1-14. Treatment repeats every 28 days for up to 12 cycles in the absence of disease progression or unacceptable toxicity. After completion of study treatment, patients are followed up every 3 months for 2 years and then every 6 months for 3 years.