Imatinib Mesylate, Vatalanib, and Hydroxyurea in Treating Patients With Recurrent or Relapsed Malignant Glioma

DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:

* Histologically confirmed malignant glioma

  * Grade 3 or 4 disease
  * In first, second, or third recurrence or relapse
* Multifocal disease allowed

PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:

* Karnofsky performance status 70-100%
* Life expectancy ≥ 12 weeks
* Absolute neutrophil count \> 1,500/mm\^3
* Hemoglobin \> 9 g/dL
* Platelet count \> 100,000/mm\^3
* Potassium normal\*
* Total calcium (corrected) normal\*
* Magnesium normal\*
* Phosphorus normal\*
* aspartate transaminase (AST) and alanine transaminase (ALT) \< 2.5 times upper limit of normal (ULN)
* Bilirubin \< 1.5 times ULN
* Negative proteinuria by dipstick OR total urinary protein ≤ 500 mg with creatinine clearance ≥ 50 mL/min by 24-hour urine collection
* Creatinine \< 1.5 times ULN OR creatinine clearance \> 50 mL/min
* Not pregnant or nursing
* Negative pregnancy test
* Fertile patients must use effective contraception
* No acute or chronic liver or renal disease
* left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) ≥ 45% by Multi Gated Acquisition Scan (MUGA) or echocardiogram
* No complete left bundle branch block
* No obligate use of a cardiac pacemaker
* No congenital long QT syndrome
* No history of or current ventricular or atrial tachyarrhythmias
* No clinically significant resting bradycardia (i.e., heart rate \< 50 beats/minute)
* No right bundle branch block with left anterior hemiblock (bifascicular block)
* No uncontrolled hypertension ≥ grade 2, history of labile hypertension, or history of poor compliance with an antihypertensive regimen
* No concurrent unstable angina pectoris or angina pectoris within the past 3 months
* No congestive heart failure (CHF)
* No history of CHF or arrhythmias requiring concurrent digoxin or verapamil
* No acute myocardial infarction within the past 3 months
* No other impaired cardiac function or clinically significant cardiac disease
* No peripheral neuropathy ≥ grade 2
* No unresolved diarrhea ≥ grade 2
* No uncontrolled diabetes
* No active or uncontrolled infection requiring intravenous antibiotics
* No impaired gastrointestinal (GI) function or GI disease that may significantly alter the absorption of vatalanib, hydroxyurea, and/or everolimus, including any of the following:

  * Ulcerative disease
  * Uncontrolled nausea, vomiting, or diarrhea
  * Malabsorption syndrome
  * Small bowel resection
* No other concurrent severe and/or uncontrolled medical condition that would preclude study participation or compliance
* No known HIV positivity
* No other primary malignancy that is clinically significant or requires active intervention NOTE: \*Supplement allowed

PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:

* See Disease Characteristics
* More than 2 weeks since prior tumor biopsy (4 weeks since prior surgical resection)
* Prior polifeprosan 20 with carmustine implant (Gliadel® wafer) allowed at discretion of principal investigator
* Prior hydroxyurea allowed
* More than 4 weeks since prior chemotherapy (6 weeks for nitrosoureas and 1 week for metronomic-dosed chemotherapy \[e.g., daily etoposide hydrochloride or cyclophosphamide\]) and recovered
* More than 4 weeks since prior radiotherapy and recovered
* More than 2 weeks since prior immunotherapy and recovered
* More than 4 weeks since prior investigational drugs and recovered
* No prior platelet-derived growth factor- or vascular endothelial growth factor-directed therapies
* More than 2 weeks since prior hematopoietic colony-stimulating factor (e.g., filgrastim \[G-CSF\] or sargramostim \[Granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF)\])

  * Prior epoetin alfa allowed
* No concurrent warfarin