Biological Therapy in Treating Children With Refractory or Recurrent Neuroblastoma or Other Tumors

DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:

Histologically confirmed neuroblastoma or melanoma at original diagnosis

Refractory to chemotherapy or recurrence after prior multiagent chemotherapy
Measurable or evaluable (detectable by bone scan) metastatic disease OR
No evidence of disease if complete response to prior surgical resection, radiotherapy, and/or chemotherapy OR

Histologically confirmed tumor expressing GD2 antigen at original diagnosis or relapse

Refractory to standard treatment
Measurable or evaluable disease by clinical assessments or laboratory markers OR
No evidence of disease after prior surgical resection of metastatic, recurrent disease
Histologically confirmed recurrent osteogenic sarcoma after prior chemotherapy allowed
Soft tissue sarcoma allowed
No primary CNS tumors

Prior CNS metastases allowed, provided:

Disease previously treated
Disease clinically stable for 4 weeks before study
At least 4 weeks since prior steroids for CNS metastases
No clinically detectable pleural effusions or ascites

PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:

Age:

21 and under

Performance status:

Karnofsky 60-100% for children over age 10
Lansky 60-100% for children age 10 and under

Life expectancy:

At least 12 weeks

Hematopoietic:

Absolute neutrophil count greater than 1,000/mm^3
Platelet count at least 75,000/mm^3 (transfusion allowed)
Hemoglobin at least 9.0 g/dL (transfusion allowed)

Hepatic:

Bilirubin less than 1.5 mg/dL
ALT or AST no greater than 2.5 times normal
Hepatitis B surface antigen negative

Renal:

Creatinine no greater than 1.5 mg/dL OR
Creatinine clearance or radioisotope glomerular filtration rate at least 60 mL/min

Cardiovascular:

Shortening fraction at least 27% by echocardiogram OR
Ejection fraction more than 50% by MUGA scan
No congestive heart failure
No uncontrolled cardiac rhythm disturbance

Pulmonary:

FEV_1 and FVC more than 60% of predicted OR
No dyspnea at rest
No exercise intolerance
Oxygen saturation more than 94% by pulse oximetry on room air

Neurologic:

No seizure disorders requiring antiseizure medications
No significant neurologic deficit or grade 2 or greater objective peripheral neuropathy

Other:

Not pregnant or nursing
Negative pregnancy test
Fertile patients must use effective contraception
HIV negative
No significant concurrent illnesses unrelated to cancer or its treatment
No significant psychiatric disabilities
No uncontrolled active infections
No uncontrolled active peptic ulcer

PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:

Biologic therapy:

At least 1 week since prior growth factors
At least 1 week since prior immunomodulatory therapy
Prior monoclonal antibodies allowed if no detectable antibody to hu14.18
Prior autologous bone marrow transplantation (BMT) or stem cell transplantation (SCT) allowed
Prior autologous BMT or SCT with monoclonal antibody-purged specimens allowed
No concurrent growth factors
No concurrent interferon

Chemotherapy:

See Disease Characteristics
At least 3 weeks since prior chemotherapy (6 weeks for nitrosoureas, mitomycin, or melphalan)
No concurrent palliative chemotherapy

Endocrine therapy:

See Disease Characteristics
At least 2 weeks since prior glucocorticoids, except for life-threatening symptoms
No concurrent corticosteroids
No concurrent glucocorticoids, except for life-threatening symptoms

Radiotherapy:

See Disease Characteristics
At least 3 weeks since prior radiotherapy
No concurrent palliative radiotherapy

Surgery:

See Disease Characteristics
At least 2 weeks since prior major surgery (e.g., laparotomy or thoracotomy)
No prior organ allografts
No concurrent palliative surgery

Other:

Recovered from prior therapy
At least 1 week since prior tretinoin
At least 3 weeks since prior immunosuppressive therapy
No other concurrent immunosuppressive drugs