Differentiating Recurrent Brain Tumor Versus Radiation Injury Using MRI

After a patient has been treated for a brain tumor by radiation the area of the brain that has been treated changes in appearance. These changes in appearance can make it hard to determine if a brain tumor has come back at the same site or if it is radiation injury. The purpose of this study is to determine if certain MRI imaging sequences (pictures) are more helpful to the physicians in determining if the tumor has come back or if it is radiation injury.

Inclusion criteria

• Patients previously treated with radiation therapy (including radiosurgery), with or without previous surgery or chemotherapy, with a new contrast enhancing lesion(s) with the size of 1 cm or more on conventional brain MRI examination are eligible
• Patients must have a previously histological confirmed brain tumor
• Patients must be 18 years of age or older
• Patients must sign a study-specific consent form approved by the Institutional Review Board of the University of Michigan indicating prior to study entry

Exclusion criteria

• Pregnant woman
• For the purpose of this radiological study and in collecting data from the patient but not from receiving the MR Spectroscopy if it is clinically indicated.
• Patients unable to undergo MRI imaging because of non-compatible devices such as cardiac pacemakers, other implanted electronic devices, or foreign body in the eye
• Also patients with metallic prostheses, or ferromagnetic prostheses (e.g. pins in artificial joints and surgical pins/clips in the face or skull region), or patients with braces since these devices may cause metal artifacts which may obscure the images and result in artifacts on the MR spectroscopy.
• Prisoners