Aminolevulinic Acid During Surgery in Treating Patients With Malignant Brain Tumors

Inclusion Criteria

• •Patients may have clinically documented primary malignant glioma for which re-resection is clinically indicated; in this instance, previous pathology slides will be reviewed by University of Washington Medical Center (UWMC) Neuropathology prior to surgery; alternatively, patients may have imaging studies (magnetic resonance imaging \[MRI\] and /or computed tomography \[CT\] scans), which are highly indicative of a new malignant glioma, for which surgical resection is clinically warranted; the anticipated histology at resection should include: glioblastoma, gliosarcoma, anaplastic astrocytoma, anaplastic oligodendroglioma, anaplastic oligoastrocytoma (mixed glioma)
• •Prior therapy is not a consideration in protocol entry; patients with recurrence of known malignant gliomas are eligible following UWMC neuropathology slide review
• •Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) performance status =\< 2 (Karnofsky \>= 60%)
• •Life expectancy is not a consideration for protocol entry
• •Patients must have normal organ and marrow function as defined below:
• •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 pyruvic 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
• •The effects of ALA on the developing human fetus are unknown; for this reason, 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; should a woman become pregnant or suspect she is pregnant while participating in this study, she should inform her treating physician immediately
• •Ability to understand and the willingness to sign a written informed consent document