Poly-ICLC in Treating Patients With Recurrent or Progressive Anaplastic Glioma

DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS: * Histologically confirmed intracranial anaplastic glioma, including any of the following subtypes: * Anaplastic astrocytoma * Anaplastic oligodendroglioma * Anaplastic mixed oligoastrocytoma * Other anaplastic gliomas NOTE: Patients with an original histology of low-grade glioma are allowed provided a subsequent histological diagnosis of an anaplastic glioma is made * Must have evidence of tumor recurrence or progression by MRI or CT scan\* NOTE: \*Steroid dose must be stable for at least 5 days before scan * Prior radiotherapy required * Patients who have had prior interstitial brachytherapy or stereotactic radiosurgery must have confirmation of true progressive disease rather than radiation necrosis by positron-emission tomography, thallium scanning, magnetic resonance spectroscopy, or surgical documentation of disease * Relapsed disease * Progression after initial therapy (e.g., radiotherapy with or without chemotherapy) * No more than 3 prior therapies (initial therapy and treatment for no more than 2 prior relapses) * Surgical resection for relapsed disease with no anticancer therapy for up to 12 weeks followed by another surgical resection is considered 1 relapse * For patients who have had prior therapy for a low-grade glioma, the surgical diagnosis of high-grade glioma is considered the first relapse * Must be registered in the North American Brain Tumor Consortium Data Management Center database PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS: Age * 18 and over Performance status * Karnofsky 60-100% Life expectancy * More than 8 weeks Hematopoietic * WBC at least 3,000/mm\^3 * Absolute neutrophil count at least 1,500/mm\^3 * Platelet count at least 100,000/mm\^3 * Hemoglobin at least 10 g/dL (transfusion allowed) Hepatic * Bilirubin less than 2 times upper limit of normal (ULN) * SGOT less than 2 times ULN Renal * Creatinine less than 1.5 mg/dL Other * Not pregnant or nursing * Negative pregnancy test * Fertile patients must use effective contraception * No other cancer within the past 3 years except nonmelanoma skin cancer or carcinoma in situ of the cervix * No active infection * No concurrent serious medical illness * No significant medical illness that cannot be adequately controlled with therapy or that would preclude tolerability of study drug * No disease that would obscure toxicity or dangerously alter drug metabolism PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY: Biologic therapy * At least 1 week since prior interferon or thalidomide * No prior poly ICLC Chemotherapy * See Disease Characteristics * At least 2 weeks since prior vincristine * At least 3 weeks since prior procarbazine * At least 6 weeks since prior nitrosoureas * No concurrent chemotherapy Endocrine therapy * See Disease Characteristics * At least 1 week since prior tamoxifen Radiotherapy * See Disease Characteristics * At least 4 weeks since prior radiotherapy Surgery * See Disease Characteristics Other * Recovered from all prior therapy * At least 1 week since other prior noncytotoxic agents (e.g., isotretinoin), excluding radiosensitizers * At least 4 weeks since prior cytotoxic therapy * At least 4 weeks since prior investigational agents