DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:

• Histologically confirmed diagnosis of 1 of the following:

  • Medulloblastoma/primitive neuroectodermal tumor
  • High-grade glioma (anaplastic astrocytoma, glioblastoma multiforme, gliosarcoma, or anaplastic oligodendroglioma)
  • Ependymoma
• Recurrent or refractory disease
• Measurable disease

PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:

Age

• 21 and under

Performance status

• Karnofsky 50-100% (> 16 years of age) OR
• Lansky 50-100% (≤ 16 years of age)

Life expectancy

• Not specified

Hematopoietic

• Absolute neutrophil count ≥ 1,000/mm^3*
• Platelet count ≥ 100,000/mm^3*
• Hemoglobin ≥ 8.0 g/dL* NOTE: *Transfusion independent

Hepatic

• Bilirubin ≤ 1.5 times upper limit of normal (ULN) for age
• ALT < 2.5 times ULN for age
• Albumin ≥ 2 g/dL
• No overt hepatic or biliary disease

Renal

• Creatinine ≤ 1.5 times ULN for age OR
• Glomerular filtration rate ≥ 70 mL/min
• No overt renal disease

Cardiovascular

• No overt cardiac disease
• Shortening fraction ≥ 27% by echocardiogram OR
• Ejection fraction ≥ 50% by gated radionuclide study

Pulmonary

• Pulse oximetry > 94%
• No dyspnea at rest
• No exercise intolerance
• No overt pulmonary disease

Other

• Not pregnant or nursing
• Negative pregnancy test
• Fertile patients must use effective contraception
• Neurological deficits allowed provided they remain stable ≥ 1 week before study entry
• Seizure disorders allowed provided symptoms are well controlled
• No uncontrolled infection
• No other significant medical illness not adequately controlled with appropriate therapy or that would preclude study participation
• No other disease that would obscure toxicity or dangerously alter drug metabolism

PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:

Biologic therapy

• More than 1 week since prior nonmyelosuppressive anticancer biologic therapy
• At least 6 months since prior allogeneic bone marrow transplantation
• At least 3 months since prior autologous bone marrow or stem cell transplantation
• At least 2 weeks since prior hematopoietic growth factors (filgrastim [G-CSF], sargramostim [GM-CSF], or epoetin alfa)

Chemotherapy

• More than 3 weeks since prior myelosuppressive anticancer chemotherapy (6 weeks for nitrosoureas or mitomycin) and recovered

Endocrine therapy

• Concurrent corticosteroids allowed provided dose is stable or decreasing for ≥ 1 week before study entry

Radiotherapy

• At least 3 months since prior craniospinal irradiation (≥ 18 Gy)
• At least 4 weeks since prior local radiotherapy to primary tumor
• At least 2 weeks since prior focal irradiation to symptomatic metastatic sites

Surgery

• Not specified

Other

• At least 2 weeks since prior enzyme-inducing anticonvulsant drugs (EIACDs)
• At least 1 week since prior and no concurrent CYP3A4 inhibitors
• At least 6 months since prior amiodarone
• At least 2 weeks since prior and no concurrent CYP3A4 inducers
• At least 2 weeks since prior herbal or dietary supplements
• At least 2 days since prior and no concurrent cimetidine
• Concurrent ranitidine or omeprazole allowed only in conjunction with corticosteroids given for increased intracranial pressure
• Concurrent antacids allowed provided they are administered > 1 hour before and > 1 hour after lapatinib administration
• No concurrent EIACDs
• No other concurrent anticancer or experimental agents or therapy