Magnetic Resonance Imaging and Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopic Imaging in Evaluating Patients Who Are Undergoing Treatment for Gliomas

OBJECTIVES: * Determine the magnetic resonance spectroscopic imaging (MRSI) characteristics of patients who are undergoing treatment for supratentorial glioma. * Determine the survival of patients who undergo magnetic resonance imaging and MRSI. * Determine the clinical outcome of patients who undergo these imaging procedures. * Correlate measures of metabolic tumor burden (i.e., CNI, CCCrI, CrNI, and LLI) with survival and clinical outcome in patients who undergo these imaging procedures. * Determine the time to clinical progression in patients who undergo these imaging procedures. OUTLINE: Patients are assigned to 1 of 2 treatment groups based on grade of disease. * Group 1 (patients with grade II glioma): Patients undergo magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and magnetic resonance spectroscopic imaging (MRSI). Patients then receive chemotherapy. Patients undergo repeat MRI/MRSI after courses 2 and 4 of chemotherapy. * Group 2 (patients with grade III-IV glioma): Patients undergo MRI/MRSI and then undergo surgical resection of the tumor. Patients then receive chemoradiotherapy. Patients undergo repeat MRI/MRSI within 2 weeks and at 2 months after completion of radiotherapy. Patients are followed for recurrence, disease progression, and survival. PROJECTED ACCRUAL: A total of 250 patients will be accrued for this study.