Combination Chemotherapy Plus Radiation Therapy in Treating Children With Newly Diagnosed Brain Stem Glioma

• Status: Completed
• Trial end date: 2007-03-01
• Target enrollment: 0
• Participant gender: All

Summary

RATIONALE: Drugs used in chemotherapy use different ways to stop tumor cells from dividing so they stop growing or die. Radiation therapy uses high-energy x-rays to damage tumor cells. Combining more than one drug with radiation therapy may kill more tumor cells.

PURPOSE: Phase I trial to study the effectiveness of vincristine plus etoposide and radiation therapy in treating children who have newly diagnosed brain stem glioma.

• Phase: Phase 1
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers?: No

Details

• Lead Sponsor: Children's Oncology Group
• Collaborator: National Cancer Institute (NCI)
• Treatments: Etoposide; Etoposide phosphate; Vincristine

Criteria

DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS: Newly diagnosed diffuse intrinsic brain stem glioma by MRI At least 2/3 of the tumor in the pons Tumor origin clearly in the pons At least 2 clinical features with less than 6 months duration: Cranial nerve deficit Long tract signs Ataxia No diffuse brain stem enlargement secondary to neurofibromatosis No diffuse leptomeningeal disease

PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS: Age: 3 to 21 Performance status: Karnofsky or Lansky 50-100% Life expectancy: Not specified Hematopoietic: Absolute neutrophil count at least 1,000/mm3 Platelet count at least 100,000/mm3 Hepatic: Bilirubin less than 2.0 mg/dL ALT no greater than 5 times upper limit of normal Renal: Creatinine or GFR normal for age

PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY: Biologic therapy: No prior biologic therapy Chemotherapy: No other concurrent chemotherapy No prior chemotherapy Endocrine therapy: Prior glucocorticoids allowed Radiotherapy: No prior radiotherapy Surgery: No prior surgery Other: No other concurrent investigational drugs