Biological Therapy in Treating Patients With Primary or Advanced Glioma

You may be eligible if

• DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:
• Histologically or radiographically proven primary, recurrent, or refractory malignant gliomas (glioblastoma, anaplastic astrocytoma, and mixed anaplastic glioma)
• * Must be a candidate for neurosurgical biopsy or tumor debulking
• PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:
• Age:
• 18 and over
• Performance Status:
• Karnofsky 60-100%
• Life Expectancy:
• Greater than 4 months
• Hematopoietic:
• Granulocytes greater than 1,500/mm\^3
• Platelet count greater than 50,000/mm\^3
• PT and PTT within normal limits
• Hepatic:
• Bilirubin no greater than 1.5 times upper limit of normal
• Renal:
• Creatinine less than 1.5 mg/dL
• Creatinine clearance greater than 60 mL/min
• Cardiovascular:
• No congestive heart failure
• No coronary artery disease
• No serious cardiac arrhythmias
• No prior myocardial infarction
• Pulmonary:
• No major pulmonary problems
• Other:
• No history of neurologic disease (except related to brain tumor)
• No psychosis
• No impaired cognitive function
• No significant concurrent medical illness
• No active infection requiring antibiotic therapy
• Not pregnant
• Negative pregnancy test
• Fertile patients must use effective contraception
• Adequate peripheral veins to permit leukapheresis, or placement of indwelling central vascular access device
• No hepatitis B or C
• HIV negative
• No prior autoimmune disease
• Allergy to gentamicin is allowed
• PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:
• Biologic therapy:
• At least 6 weeks since prior immunotherapy and recovered
• No concurrent immunotherapy
• Chemotherapy:
• At least 4 weeks since prior chemotherapy (6 weeks for carmustine) and recovered
• No concurrent chemotherapy
• Endocrine therapy:
• Reduction or elimination of corticosteroids
• Not greater than 0.15 mg/kg/day dexamethasone equivalent
• Radiotherapy:
• At least 6 weeks since prior radiotherapy and recovered
• No concurrent radiotherapy
• Surgery:
• Prior surgery is allowed
• Other:
• Concurrent therapy with acetaminophen, anticonvulsant agents, and headache pain medications is allowed