Karenitecin in Treating Patients With Recurrent Malignant Glioma

You may be eligible if

• DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:
• Histologically confirmed anaplastic astrocytoma, anaplastic oligodendroglioma, or glioblastoma multiforme
• Progressive or recurrent disease previously treated with radiotherapy with or without chemotherapy
• * Prior low-grade disease that progressed to high-grade after therapy allowed
• Measurable disease by MRI or CT scan
• PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:
• Age:
• 18 and over
• Performance status:
• Karnofsky 60-100%
• Life expectancy:
• Not specified
• Hematopoietic:
• Absolute neutrophil count at least 1,500/mm\^3
• Platelet count at least 100,000/mm3
• Hemoglobin at least 8.5 g/dL
• Hepatic:
• Bilirubin no greater than 1.5 mg/dL
• Transaminases no greater than 4 times upper limit of normal
• Renal:
• Creatinine no greater than 1.7 mg/dL
• Other:
• No other malignancy within the past 5 years except curatively treated basal cell or squamous cell skin cancer or carcinoma in situ of the cervix or breast
• No serious concurrent infection
• No other medical illness that would preclude study
• Negative pregnancy test
• Not pregnant or nursing
• Fertile patients must use effective contraception
• PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:
• Biologic therapy:
• Not specified
• Chemotherapy:
• See Disease Characteristics
• At least 3 weeks since prior chemotherapy (6 weeks for nitrosoureas) and recovered
• No more than 1 prior chemotherapy regimen
• Endocrine therapy:
• Must be on stable dose of steroids for at least 5 days
• Radiotherapy:
• See Disease Characteristics
• At least 3 months since prior radiotherapy and recovered
• No more than 1 prior course of radiotherapy
• Surgery:
• Not specified
• Other:
• No other concurrent investigational agents
• At least 10 days since prior anticonvulsant drugs that induce hepatic metabolic enzymes