Monoclonal Antibody Therapy in Treating Patients With Leptomeningeal Cancer

You may be eligible if

• DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:
• Histologically confirmed malignancy expressing GD2, including, but not limited to:
• * Medulloblastoma/primitive neuroectodermal tumor of the CNS
• * Malignant glioma
• * Neuroblastoma
• * Retinoblastoma
• * Ependymoma
• * Sarcoma
• * Melanoma
• * Small cell lung carcinoma
• * Other tumor types must have GD2 expression confirmed by immunohistochemical staining
• Cerebrospinal fluid or leptomeningeal disease that is refractory to conventional therapy or for which no conventional therapy exists
• Prior measurable human anti-mouse monoclonal antibody titer allowed
• PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:
• Age:
• 3 and over
• Performance status:
• Not specified
• Life expectancy:
• At least 2 months
• Hematopoietic:
• Absolute neutrophil count greater than 1,000/mm\^3
• Platelet count greater than 50,000/mm\^3
• Hepatic:
• Bilirubin less than 3 mg/dL
• Renal:
• Creatinine less than 2 mg/dL
• Blood urea nitrogen less than 30 mg/dL
• Other:
• May have active malignancy outside the central nervous system
• No obstructive hydrocephalus
• No CNS grade 3 or 4 toxicity as a consequence of prior treatments
• No life threatening infection
• PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:
• Biologic therapy:
• Prior monoclonal antibody treatment allowed
• Chemotherapy:
• Prior chemotherapy allowed
• Must have recovered from all hematopoietic and neurologic side effects of prior chemotherapy
• Endocrine therapy:
• Not specified
• Radiotherapy:
• Prior radiotherapy allowed
• At least 6 weeks since prior cranial or spinal irradiation
• Surgery:
• Not specified