• Number of Participants in Phase I Stratum 1A With Dose-limiting Toxicities (DLT) Observed During the First 8 Weeks of Gefitinib Therapy [ Time Frame: Day 1 of gefitinib therapy to end of week 8 ] [ Designated as safety issue: Yes ]
  The dose limiting toxicity (DLT) analysis population consists of stratum 1A phase I participants who developed DLT during the maximum tolerated dose (MTD) estimation period (course 1 and 2) or who completed the MTD estimation period without DLTs. DLTs observed during courses 1 and 2 were used to estimate the MTD based on the tradional 3+3 design, where a dose is considered a safe dose only when 0 out of 3, or at most 1 out of 6 patients has DLTs. When two or more patients in a group of 2 to 6 patients had DLTs, then that dose level was considered to be too toxic.
  
  
• Median Progression-free Survival in Newly Diagnosed Brain Stem Gliomas [ Time Frame: Assessed pre-radiation, every 8 weeks for 13 courses of therapy, and then every 12 weeks ] [ Designated as safety issue: No ]
  Progression-free survival is defined as the interval from intiation of treatment to the earliest of disease progression (tumor increase of 25% over baseline tumor measurement; appearance of new lesion(s); or progressive/worsening neurlogical status) or death for patients who failed or to the last date of follow-up for patients without failure
  
  
• Median Survival in Newly Diagnosed Brain Stem Gliomas [ Time Frame: Assessed from the start of therapy until three years after initiation of gefitinib therapy ] [ Designated as safety issue: No ]
  Overall survival is defined as the interval from initiation of treatment to death or date of last contact for surviving patients
  
  

• Change in Tumor Volume Measured on Fluid Attenuated Inversion Recovery (FLAIR) Imaging at Before the Protocol Therapy Started and at Two Weeks After Completion of Radiation [ Time Frame: Baseline and two weeks post completion of radiation ] [ Designated as safety issue: No ]
  This study attempted to investigate in an exploratory manner the effect of treatment on changes in various neuroimaging variables. In this particular objective, the study aimed to investigate how radiation+gefitinib affect the tumor volume. Tumor volume is measured using Fluid Attenuated Inversion Recovery (FLAIR) before and after the radiation therapy.
  
  
• Change From Baseline in Volume Enhancing at Two Weeks After Completion of Radiation [ Time Frame: Baseline and two weeks post completion of radiation ] [ Designated as safety issue: No ]
  This study attempted to investigate in an exploratory manner the effect of treatment on changes in various neuroimaging variables. Neuroimaging changes may have some association with outcome (response,survival, etc.). Volume enhancing is one parameter obtained from standard magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) studies of the brain.
  
  
• Change From Baseline in Diffusion Ratio at Two Weeks After Completion of Radiation [ Time Frame: Baseline and two weeks post completion of radiation ] [ Designated as safety issue: No ]
  This study attempted to investigate in an exploratory manner the effect of treatment on changes in various neuroimaging variables. Neuroimaging changes may have some association with outcome (response,survival, etc.). Diffusion ratio is one parameter obtained from standard magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) studies of the brain.
  
  
• Change From Baseline in Perfusion Ratio at Two Weeks After Completion of Radiation [ Time Frame: Baseline and two weeks post completion of radiation ] [ Designated as safety issue: No ]
  This study attempted to investigate in an exploratory manner the effect of treatment on changes in various neuroimaging variables. Neuroimaging changes may have some association with outcome (response,survival, etc.). Perfusion ratio is one parameter obtained from standard magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) studies of the brain.
  
  
• Mean Tumor to Gray Matter Ratio Measured at Baseline [ Time Frame: Baseline ] [ Designated as safety issue: No ]
  This study attempts to characterize neuroimaging parameters from positron emission tomography. For each patient, the axial image through the tumor containing the maximum activity per pixel corresponding to the highest FluoroDeoxyGlucose (FDG) uptake was identified and a region of interest (ROI) was drawn based on the FDG definition of the tumor. The mean pixel values within the tumor ROI were normalized by those for normal gray matter to provide ratios of tumor/gray matter. Each patient has a mean tumor to gray matter ratio value and the median of these values across patients is reported.
  
  
• Mean Tumor to White Matter Ratio Measured at Baseline [ Time Frame: Baseline ] [ Designated as safety issue: No ]
  This study attempts to characterize neuroimaging parameters from positron emission tomography. For each patient, the axial image through the tumor containing the maximum activity per pixel corresponding to the highest FluoroDeoxyGlucose (FDG) uptake was identified and a region of interest (ROI) was drawn based on the FDG definition of the tumor. The mean pixel values within the tumor ROI were normalized by those for normal white matter to provide ratios of tumor/gray matter. Each patient has a mean tumor to white matter ratio value and the median of these values across patients is reported.
  
  
• Peak Serum Concentration of Gefitinib (Cmax) [ Time Frame: Week 2 of course 1 ] [ Designated as safety issue: No ]
  
• Elimination Half Life of Gefitinib (t1/2) [ Time Frame: Week 2 of course 1 ] [ Designated as safety issue: No ]
  
• Clearance of Gefitinib (Cl) [ Time Frame: Week 2 of course 1 ] [ Designated as safety issue: No ]
  
• Time of Maximum Clearance of Gefitinib (Tmax) [ Time Frame: Week 2 of course 1 ] [ Designated as safety issue: No ]
  
• Gefitinib Area Under the Concentration Curve From 0-24 Hours (AUC) [ Time Frame: Week 2 of course 1 ] [ Designated as safety issue: No ]
  
• Number of Patients With Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor (EGFR) Amplification [ Time Frame: Pre-treatment ] [ Designated as safety issue: No ]
  Epidermal growth factor receptor (EFGR) is a protein found on the surface of cells to which epidermal growth factor (EGF) binds. When EGF attaches to EGFR, it activates the enzyme tyrosine kinase, triggering reactions that cause the cells to grow and multiply.
  
  

OBJECTIVES:

• Determine the safety and maximum tolerated dose of gefitinib when combined with brain irradiation in children with newly diagnosed brain stem gliomas (BSG) or incompletely resected supratentorial malignant gliomas (STMG) who are not receiving concurrent enzyme-inducing anticonvulsant drugs (EIACDs). (Phase I closed to accrual effective 10/27/2003).
• Determine the safety of this regimen in children with newly diagnosed incompletely resected supratentorial malignant gliomas who are receiving concurrent enzyme-inducing anticonvulsant drugs. (Phase I closed to accrual effective 10/27/2003).
• Determine the safety and efficacy of this regimen in children with newly diagnosed poor-prognosis brain stem glioma.(Phase II)
• Correlate the hemodynamic Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) parameters to metabolic fludeoxyglucose F 18-positron emission tomography scanning with clinical response or progression in patients treated with this regimen. (Phase II)
• Determine the pharmacokinetics of gefitinib in these patients for both Phase-I and Phase-II.

OUTLINE: This is a multicenter, dose-escalation study of gefitinib (Phase I closed to accrual effective 10/27/2003). Patients are stratified according to the following:

• Stratum 1A: Intrinsic brain stem glioma; not receiving concurrent enzyme-inducing anticonvulsant drugs (EIACDs)
• Stratum 1B: Incompletely resected supratentorial malignant gliomas (STMG); not receiving concurrent EIACDs
• Stratum 2: Incompletely resected STMG; receiving concurrent EIACDs
• Phase I portion (patients in strata 1A, 1B, and 2) (phase I closed to accrual effective 10/27/2003): Patients receive oral gefitinib once daily. Treatment repeats every 4 weeks for 13 courses (1 year). Patients also receive standard brain irradiation once daily, 5 days a week, for 6 weeks beginning concurrently with initiation of the first course of gefitinib. Treatment continues in the absence of disease progression or unacceptable toxicity.

Cohorts of 3-6 patients receive escalating doses of gefitinib until the maximum tolerated dose (MTD) is determined. The MTD is defined as the dose preceding that at which 2 of 6 patients experience dose-limiting toxicity.

• Phase II portion (patients in stratum 1A): Once the MTD or the recommended Phase-II dose is determined, additional patients who have newly diagnosed brain stem gliomas (BSG) are treated at the MTD or the recommended Phase-II dose.

Patients are followed for three months after the last protocol treatment for those enrolled strictly on the phase I component. Patients contributing to the phase II portion are followed until the earliest of date of death or three years after initiation of protocol therapy.

PROJECTED ACCRUAL: Considering the seven dose levels to be investigated in three strata, where each dose level can accrue up to six patients, a total of 126 patients (42 for each strata) may be accrued for this study within 2 years. (Phase I closed to accrual effective 10/27/2003). A total of 40 patients including the patients treated at the maximum tolerated dose or the recommended Phase-II dose during Phase I will be accrued for phase II of this study within 10 months.