Radiation Therapy and Sargramostim in Treating Patients With Advanced Solid Tumors

DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:

• Histologically confirmed solid malignancy

  • Advanced disease

• Radiotherapy is appropriate treatment (i.e., radio-responsive)

  • No tumors beyond the reach of kilovoltage beam (e.g., > 15 cm beneath the skin)
• At least 1 lesion accessible to needle localization and catheter placement
• May be refractory to prior chemotherapy

PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:

Age

• 18 and over

Performance status

• 0-4

Life expectancy

• At least 2 months

Hematopoietic

• Hemoglobin ≥ 10 g/dL (RBC transfusion allowed)
• Absolute neutrophil count ≥ 1,000/mm^3
• Platelet count ≥ 100,000/mm^3 (transfusion independent)
• No excessive leukemic blasts
• No bleeding diathesis

Hepatic

• PT and PTT ≤ 1.5 times upper limit of normal (ULN)
• AST or ALT < 2 times ULN
• Alkaline phosphatase < 2 times ULN

Renal

• Creatinine < 1.5 mg/dL

Other

• Not pregnant or nursing
• Negative pregnancy test
• No contraindication to MRI or CT scan
• No medical or psychiatric condition that would preclude giving informed consent
• Able to lie flat for 1 hour
• No known hypersensitivity to sargramostim (GM-CSF) or any of its components

PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:

Biologic therapy

• Prior biologic therapy allowed
• No concurrent biologic therapy

Chemotherapy

• See Disease Characteristics
• No concurrent chemotherapy

Endocrine therapy

• Concurrent hormonal therapy allowed

Radiotherapy

• Prior radiotherapy to planned treatment site allowed
• No other concurrent radiotherapy to planned treatment site

Surgery

• Prior surgery allowed

Other

• More than 14 days since prior radiosensitizers
• No other concurrent investigational therapy