Inclusion Criteria

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)