OBJECTIVES:~I. Determine the response rate in pediatric patients with recurrent or progressive high-grade glioma, medulloblastoma/primitive neuroectodermal tumor (PNET), or brain stem glioma treated with tipifarnib.~II. Determine the distribution of time to progression, time to treatment failure, and time to death in patients treated with this drug.~OUTLINE: This is an open-label, multicenter study. Patients are stratified according to disease (high-grade glioma vs recurrent or progressive medulloblastoma/primitive neuroectodermal tumor [PNET] vs progressive diffuse, intrinsic brain stem glioma).~Patients receive oral tipifarnib twice daily on days 1-21. Courses repeat every 28 days for up to 2 years in the absence of disease progression or unacceptable toxicity.
This phase II trial is studying how well tipifarnib works in treating young patients with recurrent or progressive high-grade glioma, medulloblastoma, primitive neuroectodermal tumor, or brain stem glioma. Tipifarnib may stop the growth of tumor cells by blocking the enzymes necessary for their growth.