Ixabepilone in Treating Young Patients With Refractory Solid Tumors

Inclusion criteria

* Histologically confirmed diagnosis (at original diagnosis or recurrence) of 1 of the following: * Embryonal or alveolar rhabdomyosarcoma * Osteosarcoma\* * Ewing's sarcoma /peripheral neuroectodermal tumor\* * Synovial sarcoma or malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumor\* * Wilms' tumor\* * Age ≤ 21 years at original diagnosis * Neuroblastoma * Age ≤ 21 years at original diagnosis * Clinically or radiographically measurable or evaluable (by iodine I 123 metaiodobenzoguanine sulfate \[\^123I-MIBG\] or bone scan \[evaluable tumors must be positive at ≥ 1 site\]) * If lesion was previously irradiated, a biopsy must be performed ≥ 6 weeks after completion of radiotherapy and viable neuroblastoma must be demonstrated * No elevated urinary catecholamines and/or bone marrow evidence of tumor with measurable disease clinically or by imaging modalities (CT scan, MRI, \^123I-MIBG, or bone scan) * Refractory or recurrent disease with no known curative treatment options * ECOG performance status (PS) 0-2 OR Karnofsky PS 50-100% (patients \> 16 years of age) OR Lansky PS 50-100% (patients ≤ 16 years) * Life expectancy ≥ 8 weeks * No evidence of active graft-versus-host disease * Absolute neutrophil count ≥ 1,500/mm³ (no growth factors) * Platelet count ≥ 75,000/mm³ (transfusion independent) * Not pregnant or nursing * Fertile patients must agree to use effective contraception * Negative pregnancy test * Hemoglobin ≥ 8 g/dL (may receive RBC transfusions) * Creatinine clearance or radioisotope glomerular filtration rate ≥ 70 mL/min * Bilirubin ≤ 1.5 times upper limit of normal (ULN) * ALT ≤ 2.5 times ULN * No clinically significant unrelated systemic illness that would preclude study treatment, including any of the following: * Serious infections * Hepatic, renal, or other organ dysfunction * CNS toxicity ≤ grade 2 * No pre-existing sensory or motor neuropathy ≥ grade 2 * Seizure disorder allowed provided it is well controlled by anticonvulsants * No known prior severe hypersensitivity reaction to agents containing Cremophor EL® * Fully recovered from the acute toxic effects of all prior chemotherapy, immunotherapy, or radiotherapy * More than 2 weeks since prior myelosuppressive chemotherapy (4 weeks if prior nitrosourea) * At least 7 days since prior biologic agents * At least 2 weeks since prior local palliative (small-port) radiotherapy * At least 6 months since prior craniospinal radiotherapy OR radiotherapy to ≥ 50% of the pelvis * At least 6 weeks since other prior substantial bone marrow radiotherapy * At least 4 months since prior allogeneic stem cell transplant (SCT) * At least 2 months since prior autologous SCT * No prior taxane (paclitaxel, docetaxel) therapy * More than 1 week since prior growth factor use (except epoetin alfa) * More than 1 week since prior and no concurrent strong inhibitors ofCYP3A4, including any of the following: * Clarithromycin * Troleandomycin * Erythromycin * Ketoconazole * Itraconazole * Fluconazole (doses \> 3mg/kg/day) * Voriconazole * Nefazodone * Fluvoxamine * Verapamil * Diltiazem * Amiodarone * Grapefruit juice * More than 1 week since prior and no concurrent enzyme-inducing anticonvulsants, including any of the following: * Carbamazepine * Felbamate * Phenobarbital * Phenytoin * Primidone * Oxcarbazepine * No concurrent aprepitant * No concurrent Hypericum perforatum (St. John's wort) * No concurrent sargramostim (GM-CSF) or interleukin-11 * No other concurrent chemotherapy or immunomodulating agents * No concurrent radiotherapy * Concurrent steroids allowed for pain or chemotherapy-associated nausea or vomiting