Phase II Study of Intraventricular Methotrexate in Children With Recurrent or Progressive Malignant Brain Tumors

Inclusion Criteria

• •Recurrent or progressive supratentorial or posterior fossa tumors with measurable disease on imaging studies of the brain and spine or CSF cytology.
• •Tumor histology, including: Medulloblastoma , PNET, or other embryonal tumor, Atypical teratoid/rhaboid tumor (AT/RT), and Ependymoma.
• •Leptomeningeal dissemination of a previously diagnosed CNS tumor.
• •Diagnosis of tumor pathology will be based upon pathology diagnosis from previous surgeries for patients with recurrent tumors.
• •Patients must have received prior radiation before current recurrence, unless the patient is less than 36 months old at diagnosis and has progressed after at least one upfront chemotherapy regimen in which case no prior radiation is required.
• •Patients must have a life expectancy of at least 12 weeks as indicated by the patient's oncologist and/or neurosurgeon.
• •Lansky or Karnofsky Performance status of at least 50.
• •Negative pregnancy test.
• •Specific organ function requirements for: Central Nervous System, Bone Marrow, renal and liver.
• •Pregnant or lactating female patients.
• •Patients currently enrolled in another experimental treatment protocol.
• •Patients with documented allergies to any of the chemotherapy agents used in this study.
• •Patient/Parent refuses study participation.
• •Patient is severely somnolent or comatose.
• •Unable or unwilling to commit to return or to follow-up visits.