antineoplaston therapy in treating children with brain tumors

Conditions: Childhood Brain Tumors

Summary: rationale: current therapies for childhood brain tumors provide limited benefit to the patient. the anti-cancer properties of antineoplaston therapy suggest that it may prove beneficial in the treatment of childhood brain tumors. purpose: this study is being performed to determine the effects (good and bad) that antineoplaston therapy has on children (\> 6 months of age) with brain tumors.

overview: this is a single arm, open-label study in which children with brain tumors receive gradually escalating doses of intravenous antineoplaston therapy (atengenal + astugenal) until the maximum tolerated dose is reached. treatment continues for at least 12 months in the absence of disease progression or unacceptable toxicity. objectives: * to determine the efficacy of antineoplaston therapy in children with a brain tumor, as measured by an objective response to therapy (complete response, partial response or stable disease). * to determine the safety and tolerance of antineoplaston therapy in children with a brain tumor. * to determine objective response, tumor size is measured utilizing mri scans, which are performed every 8 weeks for the first two years, every 3 months for the third and fourth years, every 6 months for the 5th and sixth years, and annually thereafter. projected accrual: a total of 20-40 patients will be accrued to this study.

Eligibility criteria:
disease characteristics: * histologically confirmed (except if medically contraindicated) childhood brain tumor for which no curative therapy exists * measurable tumor by mri scan performed within two weeks prior to study entry * tumor must be at least 5 mm patient characteristics: age: * 6 months to 17 years performance status: * karnofsky 60-100% life expectancy: * at least 2 months hematopoietic: * wbc greater than 2000/mm\^3 * platelet count greater than 50,000/mm\^3 hepatic: * bilirubin no greater than 2.5 mg/dl * sgot and sgpt no greater than 5 times upper limit of normal * no hepatic failure renal: * creatinine no greater than 2.5 mg/dl * no history of renal conditions that contraindicate high dosages of sodium cardiovascular: * no severe heart disease * no history of heart failure * no history of other cardiovascular conditions that contraindicate high dosages of sodium * no uncontrolled hypertension pulmonary: * no severe lung disease other: * not pregnant or nursing * fertile patients must use effective contraception during and for 4 weeks after study participation * no serious active infections or fever * no other serious concurrent disease prior concurrent therapy: biologic therapy: * at least 4 weeks since prior immunotherapy * no concurrent immunomodulating agents chemotherapy: * at least 4 weeks since prior chemotherapy (6 weeks for nitrosoureas) and recovered * no concurrent antineoplastic agents endocrine therapy: * concurrent corticosteroids for cerebral edema allowed (must be on stable dose for at least 1 week before study entry) radiation therapy: * at least 8 weeks since prior radiotherapy and recovered surgery: * recovered from any prior surgery other: * no prior antineoplaston therapy

Keywords: anaplastic astrocytoma anaplastic glioma anaplastic oligodendroglioma astrocytoma astrocytoma pilocytic brain stem glioma craniopharyngioma ganglioglioma glioblastoma multiforme gliosarcoma medulloepithelioma neurocytoma oligodendroglioma oligodendroglioma-brainstem primitive neuroectodermal tumor