N2004-06: Irinotecan and Vincristine With 131I-MIBG Therapy for Resistant/Relapsed High-Risk Neuroblastoma

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 …