DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:

• Histologically confirmed primary brain neoplasm, meningioma, or head and neck cancer

  • WHO grade 2 or 3 disease

    • No WHO grade 4 primary brain neoplasms (i.e., glioblastoma or gliosarcoma)

• Patients with head and neck cancer must not have any of the following:

  • Evidence of metastatic disease
  • Evidence of tumor invasion to major vessels (e.g., the carotid)
  • History of bleeding related to tumor or radiotherapy during or after completion of radiotherapy
• Must have undergone cranial irradiation
• Must have radiographic evidence to support the diagnosis of radiation necrosis and/or surgical biopsy evidence of necrosis without tumor within the past 2 months
• Must have evidence of progressive neurologic signs or symptoms appropriate to the location of the radiation necrosis
• No evidence of active CNS hemorrhage

PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:

• Karnofsky performance status 60-100%
• Platelet count > 75,000/mm^3
• Hemoglobin ≥ 9.0 g/dL
• Granulocyte count > 1,500/mm^3
• Bilirubin ≤ 1.5 times upper limit of normal (ULN)
• Creatinine < 1.0 times ULN
• AST < 2.5 times ULN
• Not pregnant or nursing
• Negative pregnancy test
• Fertile patients must use effective contraception during and for ≥ 2 months after completion of study therapy
• No diarrhea ≥ grade 1
• No abdominal fistula, gastrointestinal perforation, or intra-abdominal abscess within the past 28 days
• No significant traumatic injury within the past 28 days

• No clinically significant cardiovascular disease, including any of the following:

  • Inadequately controlled hypertension (i.e., systolic BP > 140 mm Hg and/or diastolic BP > 90 mm Hg despite antihypertensive medication)
  • Large vessel cerebrovascular accident within the past 6 months
  • Myocardial infarction or unstable angina within the past 6 months
  • NYHA class II-IV congestive heart failure
  • Serious or inadequately controlled cardiac arrhythmia
  • Significant vascular disease (e.g., aortic aneurysm or history of aortic dissection)
  • Clinically significant peripheral vascular disease
• No evidence of bleeding diathesis or coagulopathy
• History of seizures allowed provided the patient is receiving anticonvulsant therapy

PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:

• See Disease Characteristics
• At least 6 months since prior radiotherapy
• No prior bevacizumab
• Prior chemotherapy for tumor allowed
• Prior tyrosine kinase inhibitors of VEGF receptor (VEGFR) allowed
• More than 28 days since prior and no concurrent major surgical procedure or open biopsy
• More than 7 days since prior core biopsy
• Concurrent dexamethasone allowed provided patient is on a stable dose for ≥ 1 week prior to study entry

• Concurrent full-dose anticoagulants (e.g., warfarin) with PT INR > 1.5 allowed provided the following criteria are met:

  • In-range INR (usually between 2 and 3) and patient is on a stable dose of oral anticoagulant for 1 week or on a stable dose of low molecular weight heparin
  • No active bleeding or pathological condition that carries a high risk of bleeding
  • No evidence of serious or nonhealing wound, ulcer, or bone fracture
• No concurrent chemotherapy or tyrosine kinase inhibitors of VEGFR
• No other concurrent investigational agents