Enzastaurin and Temozolomide in Treating Patients With Primary Gliomas

DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:

* Histologically confirmed primary supratentorial glioma

  * WHO histologic grade 3 or 4

    * Patients who have undergone prior treatment for low-grade glioma that has transformed to glioblastoma (biopsy proven) allowed
* Amenable to standard temozolomide treatment
* First or second recurrent disease after prior surgery and/or radiotherapy OR newly diagnosed disease that is not amenable to radiotherapy (e.g., multifocal disease)

PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:

* ECOG or WHO performance status 0-2
* Hemoglobin ≥ 10.0 g/dL
* Neutrophil count ≥ 1,500/mm\^3
* Platelet count ≥ 100,000/mm\^3
* Bilirubin ≤ 1.5 x upper limit of normal (ULN)
* Alkaline phosphatase and transaminases ≤ 2.5 x ULN
* Serum creatinine \< 1.7 mg/dL
* Not pregnant or lactating
* Negative pregnancy test
* Fertile patients must use effective contraception
* Clinically normal cardiac function
* No ischemic heart disease within the past 6 months
* No clinically significant abnormalities or uncontrolled cardiac arrhythmia by ECG
* QTc interval ≤ 450 msec (males) or ≤ 470 msec (females) by baseline 12-lead ECG
* No history of congenital long QTc syndrome
* No history of stroke
* No other prior or concurrent malignancy within the past 5 years except cone biopsied carcinoma of the cervix or adequately treated basal or squamous cell skin carcinoma
* No unstable systemic diseases
* No active uncontrolled infections
* No uncontrolled hypertension
* No psychological, familial, sociological, or geographical condition that would preclude study participation
* Must be able to swallow tablets

PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:

* See Disease Characteristics
* No more than 1 prior chemotherapy regimen in the adjuvant setting or for first recurrence
* Prior temozolomide allowed provided there was no disease progression during temozolomide treatment or within 6 weeks of completing temozolomide treatment
* Prior surgery for primary brain tumor within the past 3 months allowed
* Patients who are receiving corticosteroid treatment must be on a stable or decreasing dose for at least 1 week before study entry
* At least 4 weeks since prior chemotherapy (6 weeks for nitrosoureas)
* At least 14 days since prior and no concurrent enzyme-inducing antiepileptic drugs including, but not limited to, any of the following:

  * Phenytoin
  * Carbamazepine
  * Phenobarbital
* More than 30 days since prior and no other concurrent investigational treatments
* No concurrent anticoagulant treatment (e.g., warfarin)

  * Low molecular weight heparin for patients who require anticoagulant therapy after starting study treatment may be allowed
* No concurrent routine use of colony-stimulating factors
* No other concurrent anticancer agents