S0001 RT and Carmustine With or Without O6BG in Patients With New Glioblastoma Multiforme or Gliosarcoma

DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:

* Histologically confirmed glioblastoma multiforme or gliosarcoma

  * Biopsy or surgical resection within the past 28 days

    * MRI\* with gadolinium performed before registration
    * Patients who undergo a simple biopsy only require preoperative MRI\* with gadolinium
* No more than 2 noncontiguous tumor sites based on T2-weighted MRI (in 3 dimensions)\*
* No prior radiotherapy-delivered cephalad to the interspace between the seventh cervical and the first thoracic vertebral body NOTE: \*If an MRI is not medically feasible, patients may have a CT scan with contrast

PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:

Age:

* 18 and over

Performance status:

* Zubrod 0-2

Life expectancy:

* Not specified

Hematopoietic:

* Absolute neutrophil count at least 3,000/mm\^3
* Platelet count at least 100,000/mm\^3
* Hemoglobin at least 8 g/dL

Hepatic:

* Bilirubin no greater than 2 times upper limit of normal (ULN)
* SGOT/SGPT no greater than 2 times ULN
* Alkaline phosphatase no greater than 2 times ULN
* PT/PTT no greater than 1.2 times ULN

Renal:

* Not specified

Cardiac:

* No severe cardiac disease, including any of the following:

  * Uncontrolled arrhythmias or conduction defects
  * Major problems with edema (e.g., residual swelling in the legs from deep vein thrombosis)
  * Recent coronary artery disease
  * Poorly controlled hypertension (i.e., diastolic blood pressure greater than 110 mm Hg and/or systolic blood pressure greater than 180 mm Hg)

Pulmonary:

* DLCO at least 70% of predicted
* No severe pulmonary disease

Other:

* HIV negative
* No severe Cushing's syndrome
* No known allergies to any of the study drugs
* No major psychiatric illness
* No poorly controlled diabetes complicated by steroid treatment
* No other medical illness that cannot be adequately controlled or that would preclude study participation
* No other malignancy within the past 5 years except adequately treated basal cell or squamous cell skin cancer, carcinoma in situ of the cervix, or adequately treated stage I or II cancer currently in complete remission
* Not pregnant or nursing
* Fertile patients must use effective contraception

PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:

Biologic therapy:

* Not specified

Chemotherapy:

* No prior chemotherapy
* No other concurrent antitumor chemotherapy

Endocrine therapy:

* No concurrent hormonal therapy except postmenopausal estrogen replacement therapy
* Corticosteroids at stable or decreasing dose for tumor edema allowed

Radiotherapy:

* See Disease Characteristics
* No prior radiotherapy
* No other concurrent radiotherapy (including intensity-modulated radiotherapy) to the index lesion(s)

Surgery:

* See Disease Characteristics
* No concurrent antitumor surgery

Other:

* No other concurrent investigational drugs
* No other concurrent antineoplastic drugs or therapy