MRI Scans in Evaluating the Effects of Radiation Therapy and Chemotherapy in Patients With Newly Diagnosed Glioblastoma Multiforme or Anaplastic Glioma

OBJECTIVES: Primary * To quantitatively compare the relative cerebral blood volume/flow, mean transit time, and mean vessel diameter as measured by perfusion-weighted MRI before, during, and after chemoradiotherapy in patients with newly diagnosed glioblastoma multiforme. * To measure the permeability-surface area product on a voxel-by-voxel basis before, during, and after chemoradiotherapy in these patients. * To measure the full water self-diffusion tensor on a voxel-by-voxel basis before, during, and after chemoradiotherapy in these patients. * To compare the tensor fractional anisotropy before, during, and after chemoradiotherapy in these patients. * To compare the relative regional concentrations of choline, N-acetyl-asparate, and myoinositol as measured by magnetic resonance spectroscopy before, during, and after chemoradiotherapy to interrogate cell membrane turnover, neuronal integrity, and glial reactions. * To test the affects of a short period of 100% oxygen inhalation on imaging of tumor and surrounding tissue regions of interest, specifically cerebral blood volume changes in each area as compared to room air. Secondary * To collect blood and urine samples for correlation analysis between imaging changes, molecular markers (including genetic markers), and clinical outcome of glioblastoma multiforme (phenotypic information). * To correlate blood and urine biomarkers and blood genetic markers with tumor expression of these markers. OUTLINE: Patients undergo radiotherapy once daily 5 days a week for 6 weeks. Patients also receive oral temozolomide once daily 7 days a week during radiotherapy. After completion of chemoradiotherapy, patients receive oral temozolomide once daily for 5 days. Treatment with temozolomide repeats every 28 days in the absence of disease progression or unacceptable toxicity. Patients undergo MRI, including perfusion- and diffusion-weighted MRI, diffusion tensor imaging, and magnetic resonance spectroscopy prior to initiation of chemoradiotherapy, once weekly during chemoradiotherapy, and then monthly until tumor progression or until completion of 6 courses of post chemoradiotherapy. After completion of study treatment, patients are followed annually.