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 temozolomide in treating patients with recurrent oligodendroglial tumors following combination chemotherapy.

OBJECTIVES: I. Determine the response rate and duration of response in oligodendroglial tumors to temozolomide treatment in patients with progressive disease during or after procarbazine/lomustine/vincristine (PCV) chemotherapy. II. Determine the feasibility and toxicity of temozolomide chemotherapy following PVC chemotherapy in these patients.

OUTLINE: This is an open label, multicenter trial. Temozolomide is administered orally on days 1-5 of each 4-week course; treatment continues for a maximum of 12 courses. Patients are followed every 2 months for the first 6 months and then every 3 months thereafter.

PROJECTED ACCRUAL: A total of 16-29 patients will be accrued for this study.

DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS: Histologically proven oligodendroglioma or oligoastrocytoma (with at least 25% oligodendroglial elements) Recurrent or progressive disease following both radiotherapy and procarbazine/lomustine/vincristine chemotherapy (or other nitrosoureas-based chemotherapy) Contrast enhancing, measurable disease (at least one lesion measuring at least 1 cm) by CT or MRI required Within 2 weeks prior to study treatment Within 3 days following concurrent surgery for the recurrence Steroid doses stable or decreasing for at least 2 weeks prior to scan No extracranial disease

PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS: Age: 18-69 Performance status: WHO 0-2 Life expectancy: At least 3 months Hematopoietic: Absolute neutrophil count at least 1,500/mm3 Platelet count at least 100,000/mm3 Hepatic: Bilirubin no greater than 1.25 times upper limit of normal (ULN) Alkaline phosphatase no greater than 2 times ULN AST/ALT no greater than 2 times ULN Renal: Creatinine no greater than 1.25 times ULN Creatinine clearance at least 60 mL/min Other: Not pregnant or lactating Effective contraception required of fertile women No diseases interfering with follow-up

PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY: Biologic therapy: Not specified Chemotherapy: See Disease Characteristics No more than one prior chemotherapy regimen At least 4 weeks since prior chemotherapy Prior nitrosourea required At least 6 weeks since nitrosourea Endocrine therapy: Not specified Radiotherapy: See Disease Characteristics More than 3 months since radiotherapy Surgery: Not specified Other: No concurrent treatment with other investigational agents or other antitumor agents