Inclusion Criteria

DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:

- Histologically confirmed* diagnosis of 1 of the following:

- Poor prognosis brain tumor

- Relapsed or progressive disease

- No curative therapy exists

- Neuroblastoma

- Recurrent disease NOTE: *Histologic confirmation not required for brain
stem glioma; patients with brain stem glioma must have clinical and
radiographic evidence of disease

- Patients with brain stem glioma must have symptoms lasting < 3 months comprising
cranial nerve deficits (often VI or VII) and/or ataxia and/or long tract signs

PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:

Age

- 21 and under

Performance status

- Karnofsky 50-100% OR

- Lansky 50-100%

Life expectancy

- More than 2 months

Hematopoietic

- Hemoglobin ≥ 9.0 g/dL

- Platelet count > 75,000/mm^3

- WBC > 2,000/mm^3

- Absolute neutrophil count > 1,000/mm^3

Hepatic

- Bilirubin ≤ 1.5 mg/dL

- SGOT and SGPT ≤ 2 times normal (SGOT ≤ 4 times normal for patients taking Zantac)

- Alkaline phosphatase ≤ 2 times normal

- No active hepatic disease ≥ grade 3

Renal

- Creatinine < 1.5 mg/dL OR

- Creatinine clearance ≥ 70 mL/min

- No active renal disease ≥ grade 3

Cardiovascular

- No active cardiac disease ≥ grade 3

Pulmonary

- No active pulmonary disease ≥ grade 3

Other

- Not pregnant or nursing

- Fertile patients must use effective contraception during and for 4 weeks after study
participation

- Willing and able to participate in the System for Thalidomide Education and
Prescription Safety (S.T.E.P.S.^®) program

- No active psychiatric disease ≥ grade 3

PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:

Biologic therapy

- Prior biologic therapy allowed

- No prior thalidomide

Chemotherapy

- Prior chemotherapy allowed

- No prior temozolomide

Endocrine therapy

- Concurrent steroids allowed

Radiotherapy

- Prior radiotherapy allowed

Surgery

- Prior surgery allowed

Other

- Concurrent antiseizure medications allowed

- No other concurrent investigational agents