MRI and PET in Diagnosing Cognitive and Brain Changes in Older Patients with Cancer Undergoing Chemotherapy

Inclusion Criteria

• Group I: Diagnosis of histologically or cytologically confirmed cancer
• Group I: Treatment plan to include or have included chemotherapy and/or radiation to the brain
• Group I: Life expectancy >= 1 year
• Group I: Karnofsky performance score (KPS) >= 60
• Group I: Ability to understand and the willingness to sign a written informed consent document
• Group II: Diagnosis of histologically or cytologically confirmed cancer
• Group II: Treatment plan does not and has not included chemotherapy and/or radiation to the brain
• Group II: Life expectancy >= 1 year
• Group II: Karnofsky performance score (KPS) >= 80
• Group II: Ability to understand and the willingness to sign a written informed consent document
• Group III: Life expectancy >= 1 year
• Group III: Karnofsky performance score (KPS) >= 60
• Group III: Ability to understand and the willingness to sign a written informed consent document
• Group III: Participants with well-controlled vascular risk factors, such as treated hypertension, treated hyperlipidemia or well-controlled type II diabetes (glucose levels < 250) may be included

Exclusion Criteria

• Active or history of major psychiatric disorders such as schizophrenia, schizoaffective disorder, major affective disorder in mid-life, or treatment with electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) (mild depression that is well treated with stable dose of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor [SSRI] antidepressants may be allowed)
• Substance abuse within the past 2 years
• Huntington’s disease
• Participants with contraindications to MRI (i.e., implanted metal including pacemakers, cerebral spinal fluid shunts, aneurysm clips, artificial heart valves, ear implants or metal/foreign objects in the eyes and those with a history of claustrophobia), injuries to the eyes with metal without X-ray documentation that metal was removed
• Pregnancy or breastfeeding; women of childbearing potential must have a negative pregnancy test prior to undergoing MRI/PET imaging; post-menopausal status may be established by patient reported history of absence of menses over the last 12 months