AZD2171 in Treating Young Patients With Recurrent, Progressive, or Refractory Primary CNS Tumors

Inclusion Criteria: * Histologically confirmed primary CNS tumor * Histologically benign brain tumors (e.g., low-grade glioma) allowed * Histological requirement waived for intrinsic brain stem or diffuse optic pathway tumors, but must have clinical and/or radiographic evidence of progression * Recurrent, progressive, or refractory disease * Absolute neutrophil count \>= 1,000/mm\^3 (unsupported) * Platelet count \>= 75,000/mm\^3 (unsupported) * Creatinine =\< 1.5 times upper limit of normal (ULN) OR glomerular filtration rate \>= 70 mL/min * Bilirubin =\< 1.5 times ULN * ALT =\< 2.5 times ULN * Urine dipstick or urinalysis \< 1+ protein * Albumin \>= 3 g/dL * Karnofsky performance status (PS) 60-100% (\> 16 years of age) OR Lansky PS 60-100% (=\< 16 years of age) * Karnofsky/Lansky PS 70-100% for patients at increased risk for compromised LVEF * Hemoglobin \>= 8 g/dL (transfusion support allowed) * No overt renal, hepatic, cardiac, or pulmonary disease * Not pregnant or nursing * Negative pregnancy test * Fertile patients must use effective contraception * QTc prolongation =\< 500 msec * No other significant ECG abnormality within the past 14 days * No clinically significant, unrelated, systemic illness, including serious infections or significant cardiac, pulmonary, hepatic, or other organ dysfunction, that would preclude study participation * No uncontrolled hypertension * Defined as systolic and diastolic BP \> 95th percentile for age (ages 1-17) * Defined as BP \> 140/90 (ages 18 and older) * No New York Heart Association class III or IV disease and Karnofsky/Lansky PS \< 70 * Class II disease controlled with treatment and increased monitoring is allowed * Recovered from all prior therapy * No prior AZD2171 * At least 3 weeks since prior myelosuppressive anticancer chemotherapy (6 weeks for nitrosoureas) * More than 1 weeks since prior investigational or biologic agents * If the investigational or biologic agent has a prolonged half-life (\> 48 hours), then these patients must be discussed with the study chair prior to registration * No concurrent drugs or biologics with proarrhythmic potential * More than 3 months since last fraction of craniospinal radiotherapy or total-body irradiation * More than 4 weeks since last fraction of focal irradiation to symptomatic metastatic sites * At least 6 months since prior allogeneic bone marrow transplantation * At least 3 months since prior autologous bone marrow or stem cell transplantation * At least 1 week since prior filgrastim (G-CSF), sargramostim (GM-CSF), or epoetin alfa (2 weeks for pegfilgrastim) * No other concurrent investigational agents * Concurrent dexamethasone allowed provided patient is on a stable or decreasing dose for ≥ 1 week before study entry * No concurrent chemotherapy * No concurrent routine use of G-CSF, GM-CSF, or epoetin alfa * Able to swallow tablets * Any neurologic deficits must be stable for \>= 1 week * If the investigational or biologic agent has a prolonged half-life (\> 48 hours), then these patients must be discussed with the study chair prior to registration Exclusion Criteria: * No known curative therapy available