Temozolomide in Treating Patients With Recurrent or Progressive Malignant Glioma

DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:

* Histologically proven recurrent or progressive malignant glioma of one of the following types:

  * Anaplastic oligodendroglioma or oligoastrocytoma
  * Anaplastic astrocytoma
  * Glioblastoma multiforme (stratum closed to accrual 11/30/01)
* Patients who have failed radiotherapy are eligible
* Measurable disease by CT scan or MRI

PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:

Age:

* 18 and over

Performance status:

* Karnofsky 70-100%

Life expectancy:

* At least 12 weeks

Hematopoietic:

* Absolute neutrophil count greater than 1,500/mm\^3
* Platelet count greater than 100,000/mm\^3
* Hemoglobin greater than 10 g/dL

Hepatic:

* SGOT or SGPT less than 3 times upper limit of normal (ULN)
* Alkaline phosphatase less than 2 times ULN (if greater than 2 times ULN then a gamma glutamyl transferase test must be performed)

Renal:

* BUN less than 1.5 times ULN
* Creatinine less than 1.5 times ULN

Other:

* Not pregnant or nursing
* Negative pregnancy test
* Fertile patients must use effective barrier contraception
* No other serious concurrent infection or other medical illness that would preclude study entry
* No frequent vomiting or partial bowel obstruction
* HIV negative
* No AIDS-related illness
* No other concurrent malignancy except carcinoma in situ of the cervix or basal cell skin cancer

PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:

Biologic therapy:

* No concurrent epoetin alfa

Chemotherapy:

* At least 6 weeks since other prior chemotherapy

Endocrine therapy:

* Not specified

Radiotherapy:

* See Disease Characteristics
* At least 3 months since prior radiotherapy (exceptions allowed for recurrent/progressive disease at discretion of primary investigator)

Surgery:

* Recovered from prior surgery

Other:

* No other concurrent investigational agents
* Concurrent anticonvulsant therapy allowed