New hope for kids with resistant neuroblastoma: targeted radiation plus chemo tested

Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.

DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS: Inclusion criteria: * Must have a diagnosis of neuroblastoma by histologic verification and/or demonstration of tumor cells in the bone marrow with increased urinary catecholamines * Must have high-risk neuroblastoma AND meets at least one of the following criteria: * Recurrent or progressive disease at any time * Biopsy not required, even if there is partial response to intervening therapy * Refractory disease (i.e., less than a partial response to frontline therapy, including a minimum of 4 courses of chemotherapy) * Biopsy not required * If the patient has not had previous myeloablative therapy, preference will be given to NANT-2001-02 (iodine I 131 metaiodobenzylguanidine \[\^131I-MIBG\] + CEM) * Persistent disease after at least a partial response to frontline therapy (i.e., patient still has residual disease by MIBG scan, CT/MRI scan, or bone marrow) * Biopsy required (bone marrow biopsy included) of at least one residual site demonstrating viable neuroblastoma * If the patient has not had previous myeloablative therapy, preference will be given to NANT-2001-02 (\^131I-MIBG + CEM) * Must have evidence of MIBG uptake into tumor at ≥ 1 site within 4 weeks prior to study entry and subsequent to any intervening therapy * Must have autologous hematopoietic stem cell product available and it must be free of tumor cell contamination (0 tumor cells /1,000,000 nucleated cells), cryopreserved, and available for re-infusion after \^131I-MIBG treatment, if immunocytology has been performed on the stem cell product * If immunocytology has not been performed on the stem cell product, then bilateral bone marrow aspirates and biopsies must have been negative by morphology within 4 weeks before or after the stem cell collection * If the patient had no bone marrow disease documented at diagnosis or at any time prior to peripheral blood stem cell (PBSC) harvest then the criteria for bilateral bone marrow aspirates/biopsies is waived * The minimum dose is as follows: * Purged PBSC 2.0 x 10\^6 viable CD34+ cells/kg * Immuno-magnetically purged cells are permitted * Unpurged PBSC 2 x 10\^6 CD34+ cells/kg (minimum is same for PBSC from identical twin) * Cells from identical twins are permitted * Other allogeneic cells are not allowed * CD34+ selected cells are not permitted PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS: Inclusion criteria: * Lansky or Karnofsky performance status ≥ 50% * Life expectancy ≥ 6 weeks * Hemoglobin ≥ 8 g/dL (transfusion allowed) * ANC ≥ 750/μL (no hematopoietic growth factors within 7 days of starting irinotecan hydrochloride) * Platelet count ≥ 50,000/μL (transfusion independent, defined as no platelet transfusion for 2 weeks) * Glomerular filtration rate (GFR) or creatinine clearance ≥ 60 mL/min OR age-adjusted serum creatinine ≤ 1.5 x normal, according to the following: * 0.8 mg/dL (≤ 5 years of age) * 1.0 mg/dL (6 to 10 years of age) * 1.2 mg/dL (11 to 15 years of age) * 1.5 mg/dL (≥ 16 years of age) * Total bilirubin ≤ 1.5 x normal for age * ALT and AST \< 3 x normal for age * All post-menarchal females must have a negative beta-HCG * Males and females of reproductive age and childbearing potential must use effective contraception for the duration of study participation * Ejection fraction ≥ 55% by echocardiogram or radionuclide MUGA OR fractional shortening ≥ 27% by echocardiogram * Normal lung function * Patients with other ongoing serious medical issues must be approved by the study chair prior to study registration Exclusion criteria: * Pregnancy or breast feeding * Dyspnea at rest, exercise intolerance, pleural effusion, or oxygen requirement * Disease of any major organ system that would compromise the patient's ability to withstand therapy * Documented allergy to third generation cephalosporins * Active diarrhea (defined as ≥ grade 2 per CTCAE v3) * Active or uncontrolled infection, including C. difficile * Patients on prolonged antifungal therapy are eligible if suspected radiographic lesions are culture and biopsy negative and patient meets other organ function criteria * Patients and/or families who are physically and psychologically unable to cooperate with the radiation safety isolation * Patient weight that would require exceeding a maximum total allowable dose of \^131I-MIBG (per institutional guidelines) * Patients who, in the opinion of the investigator, may not be able to comply with the safety monitoring requirements of the study PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY: Inclusion criteria: * Patients must have fully recovered from the acute toxic effects of all prior chemotherapy, immunotherapy, or radiotherapy before study entry * At least 3 weeks since prior myelosuppressive or biologic therapy * At least 2 weeks since prior radiation therapy * Radiation therapy should not be given to the only site of measurable or evaluable disease * At least 3 months since prior large field radiation therapy (i.e., craniospinal radiation therapy, total lung radiation therapy, or radiation therapy to \> 50% of marrow space) * At least 3 months since prior autologous stem cell transplantation * Must meet adequate bone marrow function postmyeloablative therapy * At least 7 days since prior cytokines or hematopoietic growth factors * Prior irinotecan hydrochloride and vincristine therapy allowed provided the patient recovered to adequate bone marrow function as specified in the protocol Exclusion criteria: * Prior \^131I-MIBG * Prior external beam radiation therapy to the liver or kidneys * Prior allogeneic stem cell transplantation * Prior whole abdominal radiation therapy, total-body irradiation, or local radiation therapy that includes any of the following: * 1,200 cGy to more than 33% of both kidneys (patient must have at least one kidney that has not exceeded the dose/volume of radiation listed) * 1,800 cGy to more than 30% of liver and/or 900 cGy to more than 50% of liver * Other concurrent cancer chemotherapy or immunomodulating agents (including steroids) * Steroids may be used in the prevention and treatment of transfusion/infusion reactions and for the treatment of edema associated with CNS lesions * Concurrent palliative radiotherapy to localized painful lesions * Concurrent aprepitant (Emend) * Concurrent ketoconazole or St. John's wort * Medications that interfere with MIBG uptake during the week prior to or after MIBG therapy * Concurrent enzyme-inducing anticonvulsants (e.g., phenobarbital, phenytoin, or carbamazepine) * Nonenzyme-inducing anticonvulsants (e.g., Keppra) may be allowed * Concurrent hemodialysis * Any other concurrent anticancer agents or radiation therapy