Collection of Blood and Urine Samples in Patients Receiving Radiation Therapy for Glioblastoma Multiforme

This study will collect blood and urine samples from patients undergoing radiation therapy for glioblastoma multiforme (a type of brain tumor) to investigate the effects of this treatment on blood cells and certain proteins. The information from this study may help scientists develop new tests to measure radiation exposure and find new ways to treat cancer with radiation, and help determine which kinds of patients or tumors respond better to radiation therapy. Two proteins of particular interest in this study and which may be involved in the recurrence of cancer are VEGF (vascular endothelial growth factor) and MMPs (matrix metalloproteinases). Patients 18 years of age and older with glioblastoma multiforme who are receiving or will receive radiation therapy as part of their medical treatment may be eligible for this study. Candidates are screened with a history and physical examination, blood tests, and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the brain. Participants will have blood and urine samples collected before, during and after completion of their radiation treatment. Urine samples are collected in a cup and about 2 tablespoons of blood are withdrawn through a needle in a vein. Additional samples may be requested at different times during treatment and in the 3-year follow-up period. BACKGROUND * Preliminary data generated from our pilot protocol 02-C-0064 suggests that the urinary VEGF and MMP level at the one month follow-up time point compared to the last on-treatment time point collection may be predictive of tumor recurrence at one year. * Note that this preliminary study included patients with all histologies. * In an ongoing effort to validate our results with a larger more homogeneous patient cohort we propose to prospectively study patients undergoing radiotherapy for GBM. OBJECTIVES -We will determine whether VEGF and MMP level measurements aid in predicting tumor recurrence at 1 year. ELIGIBILITY -Patients seen in the radiation oncology clinic will be asked to provide samples of blood and urine before, during and after their radiation treatment. DESIGN * This protocol-provides a means of acquiring blood and urine samples from patients receiving radiation therapy for Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM). * Patients will be analyzed according to their Radiation Therapy Oncology Group (RTOG) recursive partitioning prognostic subgroups, which includes patient age, KPS, extent of resection and neurological function.