S9624 Ifosfamide in Treating Patients With Meningeal Tumors

Inclusion Criteria

• •DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:
• •Histologically proven recurrent or unresectable:
• •Malignant meningioma
• •Intracranial hemangiopericytoma
• •Primary central nervous system sarcoma, including:
• •Fibrosarcoma
• •Rhabdomyosarcoma
• •Chondrosarcoma
• •Leiomyosarcoma
• •Measurable or evaluable disease on CT or MRI scan
• •Persistent disease following biopsy or incomplete resection OR
• •Recurrent disease following complete resection
• •No benign meningioma
• •No prior or current systemic sarcoma
• •PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:
• •Age:
• •18 and over
• •Performance status:
• •SWOG 0-2
• •Life expectancy:
• •Not specified
• •Hematopoietic:
• •WBC at least 3,000/mm\^3
• •Absolute granulocyte count at least 1,500/mm\^3
• •Platelet count at least 100,000/mm\^3
• •Hepatic:
• •Not specified
• •Renal:
• •Creatinine no greater than 2.0 mg/dL
• •Cardiovascular:
• •No myocardial infarction within the past 3 months
• •No active angina
• •No unstable heart rhythms
• •No congestive heart failure
• •Other:
• •HIV negative
• •No allergy to study drugs
• •No serious concurrent medical or psychiatric illness
• •No uncontrolled peptic ulcer disease
• •No prior malignancy within past 5 years except adequately treated:
• •Basal or squamous cell carcinoma of the skin
• •Carcinoma in situ of the cervix
• •Not pregnant or nursing
• •Effective contraception required of fertile patients
• •PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:
• •Recovered from toxic effects of prior therapy and/or from postoperative complications
• •Biologic therapy:
• •Not specified
• •Chemotherapy:
• •No prior ifosfamide
• •No other concurrent chemotherapy
• •Endocrine therapy:
• •No concurrent hormonal therapy (except estrogen replacement therapy)
• •Corticosteroids allowed if dose is stable or decreasing
• •Radiotherapy:
• •At least 4 weeks since prior radiotherapy
• •Progressive disease following radiation required
• •No concurrent radiotherapy
• •Surgery:
• •See Disease Characteristics