Light Scattering Spectroscopy to Determine Brain Tumors

Completed

Conditions studied: Epilepsy, Temporal Lobe, Temporal Lobe

In brief

This study will use light scattering spectroscopy (LSS) to analyze brain tissue removed from patients during brain surgery to determine if this new technology can be used to differentiate between normal and cancerous cells. LSS focuses light on cells or tissues, and the way that light is reflected back from the tissues provides information about the size of cells and the density of the cell nuclei (the part of the cell that contains the genes). Patients between 18 and 75 years of age with a known or suspected brain tumor and patients with temporal lobe epilepsy that does not respond to medication may be eligible for this study. (Examination of tissue from patients with epilepsy will allow comparison of tumor and non-tumor brain cells.) All patients must require surgery to treat their condition. Participants will be admitted to the Clinical Center for 3 to 10 days for physical and neurological examinations, blood and urine tests, and other tests needed to prepare for surgery. They will then undergo surgery. A small amount of tissue removed during surgery for pathological review will be collected for use in this study. Half of the tissue will be examined using LSS to help determine the size of the cell and its nucleus. Studies will be done to measure how many of the cells are actively dividing and which proteins are expressed more often in tumor cells compared with normal cells. This information may shed light on how tumor cells are different from normal cells. Participants may be contacted for up to 3 years to follow their health status.

Key facts

Study ID

NCT00067418

Run by

National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS)

People needed

50

Starts

2003-08-01

Expected to finish

2004-10-01

Last updated by the study team

2008-03-04

Who can join

Age: any. Sex: any. Healthy volunteers: accepted.

You may qualify if…

• Radiographic evidence of primary glial neoplasm of the CNS (WHO grade II-IV) or any patient with a known primary neoplasm of the CNS; patients with a known or with radiographic evidence of resectable metastatic brain tumor(s); or patients with temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE) in whom resective surgery, which will include the lateral termporal neocortex, is indicated.
• Informed consent from patients age 18 or older.
• No racial or ethnic group or gender is excluded.
• Pregnant women who require brain surgery may participate in this study.

You may not qualify if…

• Inability to provide informed consent prior to surgery.
• Medical conditions that cannot be corrected prior to surgery that would be standard contraindications for neurosurgery.

Where it is running

• National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS) — Bethesda, Maryland, United States

Full record on ClinicalTrials.gov

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