O(6)-Benzylguanine in Treating Patients With Malignant Glioma

DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:

* Must be undergoing a diagnostic/therapeutic craniotomy for biopsy/resection of recurrent or newly diagnosed (or presumed) cerebral anaplastic astrocytoma or glioblastoma multiforme

  * Patients undergoing stereotactic biopsy or partial resection are eligible

PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:

Age:

* 18 and over

Performance status:

* SWOG 0-2 OR
* Karnofsky 60-100%

Hematopoietic:

* WBC at least 3,500/mm3
* Absolute neutrophil count at least 1,800/mm3
* Platelet count at least 125,000/mm3
* Hemoglobin at least 9 g/dL

Hepatic:

* Bilirubin less than 1.5 mg/dL
* SGOT less than 2 times upper limit of normal

Renal:

* Creatinine less than 1.5 mg/dL OR
* Creatinine clearance greater than 70 mL/min

Cardiovascular:

* No cardiovascular illnesses that cannot be adequately controlled with
* appropriate therapy or would increase risk, e.g.:
* Severe cardiac disease such as uncontrolled arrhythmias or conduction
* defects
* Major problems with edema (e.g., residual leg swelling from deep venous
* thrombosis)
* Recent coronary artery disease
* Poorly controlled hypertension (systolic pressure greater than 180 mm Hg,
* diastolic pressure greater than 110 mm Hg)

Other:

* No other medical illnesses that cannot be adequately controlled with
* appropriate therapy or would increase risk, e.g.:
* Major problems with edema (e.g., Cushing's syndrome)
* Major psychiatric illness
* No other malignancy requiring active therapy
* Not pregnant or nursing
* Fertile patients must us effective contraception

PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:

Biologic therapy:

* Not specified

Chemotherapy:

* Must have failed or received no prior treatment with a nitrosourea,
* procarbazine, or temozolomide
* No prior O6-benzylguanine
* At least 4 weeks since prior chemotherapy and recovered

Endocrine therapy:

* Not specified

Radiotherapy:

* At least 6 weeks since prior radiotherapy
* No prior radiotherapy to greater than 10-20% of bone marrow

Other:

* No concurrent therapy for any other malignancy
* At least 2 weeks since other prior investigational drug