Aminolevulinic Acid in Measuring Brain Tumors in Patients With High Grade Glioma Undergoing Surgery

Inclusion Criteria

• Patients entering into this study will have the presumptive diagnosis of high grade or low grade glioma based on imaging studies, or will have recurrent high-grade or low grade gliomas that have previously undergone diagnosis (astrocytoma, oligodendroglioma, mixed oligoastrocytoma, anaplastic astrocytoma, and glioblastoma multiforme); both of these groups will be undergoing craniotomy for tumor resection
• Karnofsky performance of 60% or greater
• Leukocytes > 3,000/uL
• Absolute neutrophil count > 1,500/uL
• Platelets > 100,000/uL
• Total bilirubin within normal institutional limits
• Aspartate aminotransferase (AST) (serum glutamic oxaloacetic transaminase [SGOT])/alanine aminotransferase (ALT) (serum glutamic pyruvate transaminase [SGPT]) < 2.5 X institutional upper limit of normal
• Creatinine within normal institutional limits or * Creatinine clearance >= 60 mL/min/1.73 m^2 for patients with creatinine levels above institutional normal
• Women of child-bearing potential and men must agree to use adequate contraception (hormonal or barrier method of birth control; abstinence) prior to study entry and for the duration of study participation
• Patient must have the ability to understand and the willingness to sign a written informed consent document or have a parent or guardian with the ability to understand and the willingness to sign the written informed consent

Exclusion Criteria

• History of allergic reactions attributed to compounds of similar chemical or biologic composition to aminolevulinic acid (ALA)
• Personal or family history of porphyrias
• Uncontrolled intercurrent illness including, but not limited to ongoing or active infection, symptomatic congestive heart failure, unstable angina pectoris , cardiac arrhythmia, or psychiatric illness/social situations that would limit compliance with study requirements
• Pregnancy