DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:

• Histologically confirmed CNS or leptomeningeal cancer, meeting 1 of the following criteria:

  • Refractory to conventional therapy OR for which no conventional therapy exists

    • Less than 10% chance of cure with conventional therapy

  • Recurrent brain tumor or other solid tumor with a predilection for leptomeningeal dissemination, including, but not limited to, the following:

    • Medulloblastoma
    • Ewing's sarcoma/primitive neuroectodermal tumor
    • Rhabdoid tumor
    • Neuroblastoma
    • Osteosarcoma
    • Desmoplastic small rounded-cell tumor
    • Rhabdomyosarcoma
• 8H9 reactivity confirmed by immunohistochemical staining or by immunofluorescence of bone marrow except for patients confirmed to have neuroblastoma

• No rapidly progressing or deteriorating neurologic examination

  • Stable neurological deficits as a result of brain tumor allowed
• No obstructive or symptomatic communicating hydrocephalus

PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:

Age

• Any age

Performance status

• Not specified

Life expectancy

• Not specified

Hematopoietic

• Absolute neutrophil count > 1,000/mm^3
• Platelet count > 50,000/mm^3

Hepatic

• No hepatic toxicity ≥ grade 2

Renal

• No renal toxicity ≥ grade 2

Cardiovascular

• No cardiac toxicity ≥ grade 2

Pulmonary

• No pulmonary toxicity ≥ grade 2

Other

• Not pregnant or nursing
• Negative pregnancy test
• Concurrent active malignancy outside the CNS allowed
• No uncontrolled life-threatening infection
• No gastrointestinal system toxicity ≥ grade 2

• No other severe major organ toxicity

  • Hearing loss ≤ grade 3

PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:

Biologic therapy

• Not specified

Chemotherapy

• At least 3 weeks since prior systemic chemotherapy

Endocrine therapy

• Prior corticosteroids allowed

Radiotherapy

• At least 3 weeks since prior cranial or spinal radiotherapy

Surgery

• Not specified