Temozolomide and Radiation Therapy With or Without Vatalanib in Treating Patients With Newly Diagnosed Glioblastoma Multiforme

OBJECTIVES: Primary * Determine the maximum tolerated dose and recommended phase II dose of vatalanib when given in combination with temozolomide and radiotherapy in patients with newly diagnosed glioblastoma multiforme. (Phase I) * Determine the safety and tolerability of this regimen in these patients. (Phase I) * Determine the 6-month progression-free survival of patients treated with chemoradiotherapy comprising temozolomide and radiotherapy with or without vatalanib followed by adjuvant therapy comprising temozolomide and vatalanib or temozolomide alone with or without maintenance therapy comprising vatalanib alone. (Phase II) Secondary * Determine 12-month overall survival of patients treated with these regimens. (Phase II) * Determine the toxicity profile of these regimens in these patients. (Phase II) * Correlate expression of angiogenesis and hypoxia markers and MGMT methylation status with clinical outcome in patients treated with these regimens. OUTLINE: This is a phase I, multicenter, open-label, non-randomized, dose-escalation study of vatalanib followed by a phase II, randomized, controlled study. Patients enrolled in the phase II portion of the study are stratified according to participating center, age (\< 50 years vs ≥ 50 years), corticosteroid intake (yes vs no), and mini-mental status evaluation score (\< 27 vs 27-29 vs 30). * Phase I: * Chemoradiotherapy: Patients receive oral temozolomide once daily for 6-7 weeks and oral vatalanib once daily for 6 weeks. Patients also undergo radiotherapy once daily, 5 days a week, for 6 weeks. Four weeks after the completion of chemoradiotherapy, patients proceed to adjuvant therapy. During the 4-week period between chemoradiotherapy and adjuvant therapy, patients continue to receive oral vatalanib twice daily. Cohorts of 3-6 patients receive escalating doses of vatalanib during chemoradiotherapy until the maximum tolerated dose is determined (MTD). The MTD is defined as the dose preceding that at which 2 of 3 or 2 of 6 patients experience dose-limiting toxicity. At least 6 patients are treated at the MTD. * Adjuvant therapy: Patients receive oral temozolomide once daily on days 1-5 and oral vatalanib twice daily on days 1-28. Treatment repeats every 28 days for 6 courses in the absence of disease progression or unacceptable toxicity. Patients then proceed to maintenance therapy. * Maintenance therapy: Patients continue to receive oral vatalanib twice daily in the absence of disease progression or unacceptable toxicity. * Phase II: Patients are randomized to 1 of 3 treatment arms. * Arm I: * Chemoradiotherapy: Patients receive oral temozolomide once daily for 6-7 weeks and undergo radiotherapy once daily, 5 days a week, for 6 weeks. Four weeks after the completion of chemoradiotherapy, patients proceed to adjuvant therapy. * Adjuvant therapy: Patients receive oral temozolomide once daily on days 1-5. Treatment repeats every 28 days for up to 6 courses in the absence of disease progression or unacceptable toxicity. * Arm II: * Chemoradiotherapy: Patients receive temozolomide and undergo radiotherapy as in arm I. Patients also receive vatalanib twice daily for 6 weeks at the MTD determined in phase I. Four weeks after the completion of chemoradiotherapy, patients proceed to adjuvant therapy. During the 4-week period between chemoradiotherapy and adjuvant therapy, patients continue to receive oral vatalanib twice daily. * Adjuvant therapy: Patients receive temozolomide and vatalanib as in phase I adjuvant therapy. Patients then proceed to maintenance therapy. * Maintenance therapy: Patients continue to receive vatalanib as in phase I maintenance therapy. * Arm III: * Chemoradiotherapy: Patients receive temozolomide and undergo radiotherapy as in arm I. Four weeks after the completion of chemoradiotherapy, patients proceed to adjuvant therapy. During the 4-week period between chemoradiotherapy and adjuvant therapy, patients receive oral vatalanib twice daily. * Adjuvant therapy: Patients receive temozolomide and vatalanib as in phase I adjuvant therapy. Patients then proceed to maintenance therapy. * Maintenance therapy: Patients continue to receive vatalanib as in phase I maintenance therapy. After completion of study treatment, patients are followed every 3 months for survival. PROJECTED ACCRUAL: Approximately 3-18 patients will be accrued for the phase I portion of this study. A total of 201 patients (67 per treatment arm) will be accrued for the phase II portion of this study.