OUTLINE: Patients receive oral topotecan on days 1-5 followed by paclitaxel IV over 3 hours on day 5. Beginning 24-48 hours after chemotherapy, patients receive filgrastim (G-CSF) subcutaneously daily for up to 10 days until blood counts recover. Treatment repeats every 4 weeks for 6 courses in the absence of disease progression. Patients who develop CNS progressive disease only should receive whole brain radiotherapy before continuing study treatment.