DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:

• Diagnosis of neuroblastoma by 1 of the following methods:

  • Histopathology
  • Bone marrow involvement AND elevated urinary catecholamines

• High-risk disease, defined by 1 of the following:

  • Stage 4 disease with MYCN amplification (any age) or without MYCN amplification (> 18 months of age)
  • MYCN-amplified stage 3 disease (unresectable and any age)
  • MYCN-amplified stage 4S disease
• Metastatic disease
• Tumor progression or persistent disease (at metastatic or primary site) after intensive conventional chemotherapy
• Must have evaluable (microscopic marrow metastasis, elevated tumor markers, positive MIBG or PET scans) or measurable (CT scan or MRI) disease documented after completion of prior systemic therapy

PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:

• Platelet count > 25,000/mm^3
• ANC > 500/mm^3
• Not pregnant or nursing
• Negative pregnancy test
• Fertile patients must use effective contraception
• No history of allergy to mouse proteins, beta-glucan, mushrooms, or yeast
• No active life-threatening infections

• No severe major organ toxicity

  • Concurrent toxicity must be ≤ grade 2 except for the following, which may be grade 3:

    • Myelosuppression
    • Hearing loss
    • Alopecia
    • Anorexia
    • Nausea
    • Hyperbilirubinemia from TPN
    • Anxiety
    • Hypomagnesemia
• No prior HAMA titer > 1,000 U/mL by ELISA

PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:

• No concurrent supplemental beta-glucan in food (e.g., bran cereals or mushrooms) or as complementary medicine

• No other concurrent systemic anticancer medications (e.g., hormonal agents, chemotherapy, investigational agents, or immunotherapy)

  • Concurrent isotretinoin allowed after the second course of study treatment is completed or if the patient develops human antimouse antibody (HAMA)