Gefitinib in Treating Patients With Recurrent or Progressive CNS Tumors

DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS: * Diagnosis of 1 of the following: * Histologically confirmed supratentorial malignant primary glioma * Glioblastoma multiforme * Anaplastic astrocytoma * Anaplastic oligodendroglioma * Anaplastic mixed oligoastrocytoma * Malignant astrocytoma not otherwise specified * Histologically confirmed or radiographically defined recurrent or progressive brain or spinal meningioma, including base of skull or cavernous sinus meningiomas * Benign, malignant, or atypical * May include neurofibromatosis type I or II * Hemangiopericytoma allowed * Recurrent or progressive disease by MRI or CT scan * Evidence of true progressive disease by PET or thallium scan, MR spectroscopy, or surgical documentation required if patient received prior interstitial brachytherapy or stereotactic radiosurgery (to the target lesion for meningioma and hemangiopericytoma) * Steroid dosage must be stable for at least 5 days prior to scan * No limitations on the number of prior surgeries, radiotherapy or chemotherapy regimens, or radiosurgery treatments for patients with meningioma or hemangiopericytoma and may include standard external beam radiotherapy, interstitial brachytherapy, or gamma-knife radiosurgery in any combination * Patients with glioma must have failed prior radiotherapy * Original histology of low-grade glioma allowed if subsequent confirmation of malignant glioma is made at time of recurrence * Phase I (closed to accrual as o…