Imatinib Mesylate in Treating Patients With Recurrent Meningioma

Inclusion Criteria: * Histologically confirmed meningioma * Benign, malignant, or atypical disease * Neurofibromatosis (NF) type 1 or 2 allowed * Hemangiopericytoma allowed * Unequivocal evidence of tumor recurrence or progression by MRI or CT scan (on steroid dosage that is stable for at least 5 days) * Evaluable residual disease by MRI or CT scan if previously treated with surgical resection for recurrent or progressive disease * Newly diagnosed recurrent disease that requires surgical debulking allowed * Prior standard external-beam radiotherapy, interstitial brachytherapy, or gamma-knife radiosurgery allowed provided disease has progressed since completion of therapy * Patients who have had prior brachytherapy or stereotactic radiosurgery must have confirmation of true progressive disease rather than radiation necrosis based upon positron-emission tomography or thallium scanning, magnetic resonance spectroscopy, or surgical documentation * Patients with a history of NF may have other stable Central Nervous System (CNS) tumors (e.g., schwannoma, acoustic neuroma, or ependymoma) provided those lesions have been stable in size for the past 6 months * Performance status - Karnofsky 60-100% * More than 8 weeks * Absolute neutrophil count at least 2,000/mm\^3 * Platelet count at least 120,000/mm\^3 * Hemoglobin at least 10 g/dL (transfusions allowed) * No bleeding disorders * Bilirubin less than 2 times upper limit of normal (ULN) * Serum glutamic oxaloacetic transaminase (SGOT) less than 2 times ULN * Prothrombin Time (PT), Partial thromboplastin time (PTT), and International normalized Ratio (INR) no greater than 1.5 times ULN * Creatinine less than 1.5 mg/dL * Creatinine clearance at least 60 mL/min * No deep venous or arterial thrombosis within the past 6 weeks * No pulmonary embolism within the past 6 weeks * No serious active infection * No prior intracranial hemorrhage * No concurrent disease that would obscure toxicity or dangerously alter drug metabolism * No other malignancy except nonmelanoma skin cancer or carcinoma in situ of the cervix unless the patient is in complete remission and off all therapy for that disease for at least 3 years * No other significant medical illness that would preclude study participation * Not pregnant or nursing * Negative pregnancy test * Fertile patients must use effective barrier contraception during and for 3 months after study participation * At least 1 week since prior interferon or thalidomide * No concurrent immunotherapy * Concurrent epoetin alfa allowed * At least 4 weeks since prior cytotoxic chemotherapy * At least 2 weeks since prior vincristine * At least 6 weeks since prior nitrosoureas * At least 3 weeks since prior hydroxyurea or procarbazine * No concurrent chemotherapy * At least 1 week since prior tamoxifen * No concurrent hormonal therapy * At least 4 weeks since prior radiotherapy * No concurrent radiotherapy * Recovered from prior surgery * Recovered from all prior therapy * At least 1 week since prior noncytotoxic therapy (e.g., isotretinoin) except radiosensitizers * At least 2 weeks since prior drugs that affect hepatic metabolism * At least 4 weeks since prior investigational agents * No concurrent warfarin (heparin or low-molecular weight heparin allowed) * No other concurrent investigational agents * No concurrent acetaminophen of more than 500 mg/day * No other concurrent anticancer therapy