DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:

• Histologically confirmed intracranial glioblastoma multiforme (GBM)

  • Original diagnosis of low-grade glioma with subsequent histological confirmation of GBM allowed

  • Recurrent disease

    • Failed prior radiotherapy
• Must require a surgical procedure (gross total or near gross total resection) for tumor removal

PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:

Age

• 18 and over

Performance status

• Karnofsky 60-100%

Life expectancy

• Not specified

Hematopoietic

• WBC ≥ 3,000/mm^3
• Absolute neutrophil count ≥ 1,500/mm^3
• Platelet count ≥ 100,000/mm^3
• Hemoglobin ≥ 10 g/dL (transfusion allowed)

Hepatic

• SGOT < 2 times upper limit of normal (ULN)
• Bilirubin < 2 times ULN

Renal

• Creatinine < 1.5 mg/dL

Other

• Not pregnant or nursing
• Negative pregnancy test
• Fertile patients must use effective barrier contraception during and for ≥ 2 weeks after study participation (for female patients) or for 3 months after study participation (for male patients)
• No other malignancy within the past 3 years except nonmelanoma skin cancer or carcinoma in situ of the cervix
• No active infection
• No other significant uncontrolled medical illness that would preclude study participation

PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:

Biologic therapy

• At least 3 weeks since prior interferon
• No prior cilengitide
• No other prior targeted antiangiogenic treatment (e.g., vatalanib, SU5416, or thalidomide)
• No concurrent anticancer immunotherapy
• No concurrent routine prophylactic filgrastim (G-CSF)

Chemotherapy

• At least 2 weeks since prior vincristine
• At least 3 weeks since prior procarbazine
• At least 6 weeks since prior nitrosoureas
• No concurrent anticancer chemotherapy

Endocrine therapy

• At least 3 weeks since prior tamoxifen
• No concurrent anticancer hormonal therapy

Radiotherapy

• See Disease Characteristics
• At least 4 weeks since prior radiotherapy
• No concurrent anticancer radiotherapy

Surgery

• Not specified

Other

• Recovered from all prior therapies

• No more than 3 prior treatments for GBM (1 initial treatment; and treatment for 2 relapses)

  • For patients who received prior therapy for low-grade glioma, a subsequent surgical diagnosis of high-grade glioma is considered the first relapse
• At least 4 weeks since prior investigational agents
• At least 4 weeks since prior cytotoxic therapy
• At least 3 weeks since other prior non-cytotoxic therapy (e.g., isotretinoin), except radiosensitizers
• No other concurrent anticancer therapy
• No other concurrent investigational agents