PH Sensitive MRI Based Resections of Glioblastoma

Current standard of care therapy and all FDA approved adjuvant therapy for glioblastoma continue to provide less than 12 months of progression free survival (PFS) and less than 24 months of overall survival (OS). There is an extreme need for any novel therapy against glioblastoma that increases progression free survival and overall survival in patients diagnosed with this invasive form of cancer. A significant reason for such a poor prognosis is the infiltrative nature of this tumor in non-enhancing regions (NE) beyond the central contrast-enhancing (CE) portion of tumor, which is difficult to visualize and treat with surgical, medical, or radiotherapeutic means. Since tumor cells exhibit abnormal metabolic behavior leading to extracellular acidification, we theorize a newly developed pH-sensitive MRI technique called amine chemical exchange saturation transfer echoplanar imaging (CEST-EPI) may identify infiltrating NE tumor beyond what is clear on standard MRI with gadolinium contrast. This phase I safety study will use use intraoperative CEST-EPI guided resections in glioblastoma at increasing distances from areas of CE tumor to test whether this technique is safe and can remove additional areas of infiltrative NE tumor. The primary objective of this study is to assess the safety of pH-sensitive amine CEST-EPI guided resections for glioblastoma.The secondary objectives of this study include: 1. A preliminary efficacy analysis of CEST-EPI guided resections in extending progression free and overall survival. 2. To confirm that resected tissue obtained from pH-sensitive amine CEST-EPI guided resections contain infiltrating NE tumor. The primary endpoint for this study will be safety of resecting "CEST positive", acidic regions within T2 hyperintense regions of glioblastoma thought to contain active NE tumor at increasing distances from contrast enhancing tumor with development of a recommended maximal tolerated resection. 1. At the maximal tolerated resection, a