Inclusion Criteria

DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:

- Diagnosis of primary malignant glioblastoma multiforme (i.e., grade IV anaplastic
astrocytoma)

- Primary treatment (surgery, radiation, and/or chemotherapy) has been completed

- Candidate for surgery and willing to undergo craniotomy

- No progressive or recurrent disease

- No residual disease that requires reoperation, additional gamma therapy, or other
modality

PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:

- ECOG performance status (PS) 0-2 OR Karnofsky PS 70-100% (i.e., if symptomatic,
bedridden < half of a waking day)

- Life expectancy ≥ 2 months

- Not pregnant

- Negative pregnancy test

- U.S. residents only

- No hematopoietic, hepatic, renal, cardiovascular, or pulmonary laboratory values or
other medical circumstances that would preclude surgery or aldesleukin therapy

- No serious concurrent medical or psychiatric illness that would preclude informed
consent or study treatment

PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:

- See Disease Characteristics

- At least 4 weeks since prior anticancer therapy and recovered

- Prior stereotactic or gamma knife radiosurgery allowed