Inclusion Criteria

DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:

- Histologically confirmed glioblastoma multiforme in first relapse

PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:

Age:

- 18 and over

Performance status:

- Karnofsky 60-100%

Life expectancy:

- More than 12 weeks

Hematopoietic:

- WBC at least 3,000/mm^3

- Absolute neutrophil count at least 1,500/mm^3

- Platelet count at least 100,000/mm^3

Hepatic:

- Bilirubin less than 1.5 times upper limit of normal (ULN)

- AST/ALT no greater than 2.5 times ULN

Renal:

- Creatinine less than 1.5 times ULN

Cardiovascular:

- No symptomatic congestive heart failure

- No unstable angina pectoris

- No cardiac arrhythmia

Other:

- No other uncontrolled concurrent illness

- No ongoing or active infection

- No psychiatric illness or social situation that would preclude study compliance

- No prior allergic reactions to compounds of similar chemical or biologic composition
to ZD 1839

- Not pregnant or nursing

- Negative pregnancy test

- Fertile patients must use effective contraception

- Ocular inflammation must be fully treated before study entry

PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:

Biologic therapy:

- Not specified

Chemotherapy:

- At least 4 weeks since prior chemotherapy (6 weeks for nitrosoureas or mitomycin) and
recovered

Endocrine therapy:

- Must be on stable dose of steroids for at least 1 week

Radiotherapy:

- At least 4 weeks since prior radiotherapy and recovered

Surgery:

- At least 1 week since prior surgery

Other:

- No other concurrent investigational agents

- No other concurrent anticancer therapy

- No concurrent combination antiretroviral therapy for HIV

- No concurrent enzyme-inducing anticonvulsant drugs