Blood Brain Barrier Differences in Patients with Brain Tumors Undergoing Surgery

Inclusion Criteria

• Age >= 18 years
• Clinical and radiographic evidence suggesting CNS malignancy
• Suspected newly diagnosed, local, or intracranial recurrence of primary brain tumor OR previously untreated or treated brain metastasis
• Willing to undergo a neurosurgical resection of CNS lesion at Mayo Clinic Rochester
• Able to have magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) imaging with gadolinium contrast (e.g. no cardiac pacemaker, defibrillator, renal failure)
• Females of childbearing potential must have a negative pregnancy test done =< 14 days prior to registration
• Provide written informed consent
• Willing to provide tissue and blood samples for research purposes
• Patients having a study-specific surgical planning MRI only: Creatinine (estimated glomerular filtration rate [eGFR] >= 30) (obtained =< 30 days prior to registration)

Exclusion Criteria

• Vulnerable populations: pregnant women, prisoners, mentally handicapped
• Unable to undergo a biopsy of CNS lesion
• Documented drug allergy to cefazolin or levetiracetam, or other contraindication to use these drugs in the pre-operative setting (e.g., patient is already on another anti-seizure medication which precludes the clinical indication for pre-operative levetiracetam)
• Patients who are unable to swallow tablets if study drug is administered by mouth
• Patients who are at risk for impaired absorption of oral medication if study drug is administered by mouth; Note: This includes but not limited to, refractory vomiting, gastric resection/bypass, and duodenal/jejunal resection
• Pregnant or nursing women; Note: Pregnant women are excluded from this study because of the potential for teratogenic or abortifacient effects with chemotherapy; there is also a potential risk for adverse events (AEs) in nursing infants secondary to treatment of the mother with these drugs, so breastfeeding should be discontinued for the duration of the study