DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:

• Histologically or cytologically confirmed neuroblastoma

  • High-risk disease, as defined by the following:

    • Mixed response OR no response after completion of ≥ 4 courses of induction therapy OR
    • Progressive disease

    • Must meet at least 1 of the following criteria:

      • Histologically confirmed bone marrow disease by bilateral bone marrow aspirate and biopsy
      • Positive uptake at a minimum of one site by iodine I 123 or I 131 metaiodobenzylguanidine (MIBG) scan

      • Measurable disease

        • At least 20 mm by CT scan or MRI OR at least 10 mm by spiral CT scan

• No CNS parenchymal metastases by CT scan of the head with contrast or MRI of the head with gadolinium OR epidural metastases causing mass effect on the brain

  • Skull metastases allowed provided they are not associated with intracranial disease compressing or displacing the brain

PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:

Age

• 1 to 30

Performance status

• Karnofsky 50-100% (over 16 years of age)
• Lansky 50-100% (1 to 15 years of age)

Life expectancy

• At least 2 months

Hematopoietic

• Absolute neutrophil count at least 750/mm^3
• Platelet count at least 75,000/mm^3 (transfusion independent)
• Hemoglobin at least 8 g/dL (transfusion allowed)

Hepatic

• Bilirubin less than 1.5 times upper limit of normal (ULN)
• AST and ALT no greater than 3 times ULN

Renal

• Glomerular filtration rate (GFR)* or creatinine clearance at least 100 mL/min
• Creatinine no greater than 1.5 times ULN NOTE: *Determined using blood draw method only

Cardiovascular

• Ejection fraction at least 55% by echocardiogram or MUGA OR
• Fractional shortening at least 27% by echocardiogram

Pulmonary

• No dyspnea at rest
• No oxygen requirement

Neurologic

• No history of seizures
• No history of cerebral bleeding or stroke
• No acute or chronic CNS disease

Other

• Not pregnant or nursing
• Negative pregnancy test
• Fertile patients must use effective contraception

• No active infection requiring IV antivirals, antibiotics, or antifungals

  • Patients on prolonged antifungal therapy allowed provided they are culture-negative and biopsy-negative in suspected residual radiographic lesions

PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:

Biologic therapy

• Recovered from prior immunotherapy
• At least 7 days since prior myeloid growth factors
• At least 3 weeks since prior biologic agents
• At least 9 months since prior autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT)
• No prior allogeneic HSCT

Chemotherapy

• See Disease Characteristics
• No prior pyrazoloacridine
• At least 3 weeks since prior chemotherapy (4 weeks for nitrosoureas) and recovered

Endocrine therapy

• Not specified

Radiotherapy

• Recovered from prior radiotherapy
• At least 2 weeks since prior small-port radiotherapy to lesions not used for study eligibility
• At least 4 weeks since prior radiotherapy to study lesions
• At least 12 weeks since prior therapeutic doses of metaiodobenzylguanidine
• At least 6 months since prior craniospinal radiotherapy
• At least 6 months since prior radiotherapy to 50% or more of the pelvis
• At least 6 months since prior total body irradiation

Surgery

• Not specified

Other

• No concurrent antiretroviral therapy for HIV-positive patients