RATIONALE: Drugs used in chemotherapy use different ways to stop tumor cells from dividing so they stop growing or die.

PURPOSE: Phase II trial to study the effectiveness of vinorelbine in treating children with recurrent or refractory cancer.

OBJECTIVES: I. Determine the response rate of children with recurrent or refractory malignancies treated with vinorelbine. II. Assess the toxic effects of this drug in these children.

OUTLINE: Patients receive vinorelbine IV over 6-10 minutes weekly on weeks 1-6. Treatment repeats every 8 weeks for a total of 10 courses in the absence of disease progression or unacceptable toxicity. Patients are followed every 4 months for 2 years, every 6 months for 1 year, and then annually thereafter.

PROJECTED ACCRUAL: A maximum of 100 patients will be accrued for this study within 2 years.

DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS: Histologically confirmed recurrent or refractory solid malignant tumors of childhood including: Soft tissue sarcoma Rhabdomyosarcoma Nonrhabdomyosarcoma Extraosseous Ewing's sarcoma CNS tumors Astrocytoma Primitive neuroectodermal tumor Atypical teratoid/rhabdoid tumors Ependymoma Recurrent neuroblastoma Measurable disease No more than 2 prior treatment regimens

PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS: Age: 21 and under at diagnosis Performance status: ECOG 0-2 Life expectancy: At least 2 months Hematopoietic: For patients with solid tumors (unless marrow involvement): Absolute neutrophil count (ANC) at least 1000/mm3 Platelet count at least 100,000/mm3 (transfusion independent) Hemoglobin at least 10 g/dL (RBC transfusions allowed) For patients post bone marrow transplantation: ANC at least 1,000/mm3 Platelet count at least 50,000/mm3 (transfusion independent) Hemoglobin at least 10 g/dL (RBC transfusions allowed) Hepatic: Total bilirubin no greater than 1.5 times normal SGOT/SGPT less than 2.5 times normal Renal: Creatinine no greater than 1.5 times normal OR Creatinine clearance or radioisotope glomerular filtration rate at least 70 mL/min Neurologic: Seizure disorder allowed if well controlled CNS toxicity no greater than grade 2

PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY: Biologic therapy: At least 6 months since prior bone marrow transplantation No concurrent immunomodulating agents Chemotherapy: At least 2 weeks since prior chemotherapy (4 weeks for nitrosourea) and recovered No other concurrent chemotherapy Endocrine therapy: No concurrent corticosteroids except for increased intracranial pressure due to CNS tumors Radiotherapy: At least 6 months since prior radiotherapy to craniospinal axis, spine, and/or more than 50% of the bony pelvis Concurrent radiotherapy to localized painful lesions allowed if at least one measurable lesion is not in radiation field Surgery: Not specified Other: No concurrent participation in another CCG, POG, or COG therapeutic study