RATIONALE: New imaging procedures, such as fluorine F 18 fluorodopa-labeled PET scan, may help in guiding surgery and radiation therapy and allow doctors to plan better treatment.

PURPOSE: This clinical trial studies fluorine F 18 fluorodopa-labeled PET scan in planning surgery and radiation therapy in treating patients with newly diagnosed high- or low-grade malignant glioma

PRIMARY OBJECTIVES:

I. To determine correlation between 18F-FDOPA PET activity, MRI contrast enhancement, and high- or low-grade glioma biopsies.

II. To compare radiotherapy target volume delineation with and without 18F- FDOPA-PET metabolic imaging information to determine role of metabolic imaging in radiotherapy treatment planning.

SECONDARY OBJECTIVES:

I. To determine correlation between concordance of 18F-FDOPA PET activity, MRI contrast enhancement, and high- or low-grade glioma biopsies and patient outcomes including overall survival and progression free survival.

OUTLINE:

Beginning at no more than 1 week before biopsy and resection, patients undergo fluorine F 18 fluorodopa-labeled PET/CT scan and pre-operative MRI. Patients then undergo stereotactic craniotomy. Some patients may also undergo radiation therapy.

After completion of study treatment, patients are followed up every year for 5 years.

Inclusion Criteria:

• Age ≥18 years.
• MRI findings compatible with newly diagnosed high- or low-grade malignant glioma
• Planned craniotomy and resection or biopsy
• Willing to sign release of information for any radiation and/or follow-up records
• Negative pregnancy test done =< 48 hours of injection of study drug, for women of childbearing potential only
• Provide informed written consent
• Patients with eGFR < 60 mg/min/1.72m2 are eligible for the study; PLEASE NOTE: the patient is not eligible to receive the contrast for the pMRI at the study dose.

Exclusion Criteria:

• Unable to undergo MRI scans with contrast (e.g. cardiac pacemaker, defibrillator, kidney failure)
• Unable to undergo an 18F-FDOPA PET scan (e.g. Parkinson's Disease, taking anti-dopaminergic, or dopamine agonist medication or less than 6 half-lives from discontinuance of dopamine agonists)
• Pregnant women; nursing women; men or women of childbearing potential who are unwilling to employ adequate contraception