Tandutinib in Treating Patients With Recurrent or Progressive Glioblastoma

Criteria:

* Histologically confirmed glioblastoma:

  * Progressive or recurrent disease after prior radiotherapy (with or without chemotherapy)
  * Patients with a previous low-grade glioma that progressed after prior radiotherapy (with or without chemotherapy) and are found to have glioblastoma by biopsy are eligible
* Measurable disease, defined as contrast-enhancing progressive or recurrent glioblastoma by MRI or CT imaging within the past 2 weeks
* Must be maintained on a stable corticosteroid regimen from the time of baseline scan to the start of study treatment
* Feasibility study only:

  * Planning to undergo surgical resection or biopsy
  * Stereotactic biopsy for confirmation of tumor progression or differentiation of tumor progression from treatment-induced effects allowed
  * Corticosteroids must be tapered to the lowest required steroid dose and patient must be maintained on a stable dose after surgery or biopsy
* Karnofsky performance status 60-100%
* Absolute neutrophil count \>= 1,500/mm\^3
* Hemoglobin \>= 10 mg/dL
* Bilirubin =\< 1.5 mg/dL
* AST and ALT =\< 4 times upper limit of normal
* Not pregnant or nursing
* Negative pregnancy test
* Fertile patients must use effective barrier method contraception during and for 3 months after completion of study treatment
* Mini Mental State Exam score \>= 15
* Mean QTc =\< 500 msec (with Bazett's correction) by screening electrocardiogram
* LVEF \>= 40%
* No history of familial long QT syndrome
* No myocardial infarction within the past 6 months
* No severe uncontrolled ventricular arrhythmias
* No uncontrolled angina
* No electrocardiographic evidence of acute ischemia or active conduction system abnormalities
* No ongoing vomiting or nausea \>= grade 2
* No gastrointestinal tract disease resulting in an inability to take oral medication or a requirement for intravenous alimentation
* No active peptic ulcer disease
* No other condition that would impair ability to swallow pills or absorb oral medications
* No muscular dystrophy
* No myasthenia gravis
* No other known or suspected primary muscular or neuromuscular disease
* No history of allergic reactions attributed to compounds of similar chemical or biologic composition to tandutinib (e.g., erlotinib hydrochloride, gefetinib, or doxazosin mesylate)
* Patients who developed an acneiform/maculopustular rash while receiving either gefitinib or erlotinib hydrochloride are eligible unless the rash is considered an allergic reaction (angioedema/urticaria) or Stevens-Johnson syndrome
* No ongoing or active infections
* No psychiatric illness or social situations that would preclude study compliance
* No other serious infection or medical illness
* At least 3 weeks since prior chemotherapy (6 weeks for nitrosoureas)
* No other uncontrolled illness
* No other malignancy within the past 5 years except for basal cell or squamous cell skin cancer or carcinoma in situ of the cervix or breast
* Recovered from prior therapy
* At least 3 months since prior radiotherapy
* No prior surgical procedures affecting absorption
* No concurrent combination antiretroviral therapy for HIV-positive patients
* No other concurrent investigational agents
* No concurrent agent that would cause QTc prolongation
* No concurrent prophylactic growth factors (e.g., filgrastim \[G-CSF\] or sargramostim \[GM-CSF\])
* At least 10 days since prior and no concurrent anticonvulsant drugs that induce hepatic metabolic enzymes (e.g., primidone, oxcarbazepine, phenytoin, carbamazepine, or phenobarbital)
* No prior treatment with small molecule inhibitors of platelet-derived growth factor receptor (e.g., sunitinib malate, sorafenib, or imatinib mesylate)
* Platelet count \>= 100,000/mm\^3
* No New York Heart Association class III or IV heart failure
* Creatinine =\< 1.5 mg/dL OR creatinine clearance \>= 60mL/min