An Investigational Scan (18F-DOPA PET/CT) for Improving the Clinical Management of Brain Tumors

This phase II trial studies how well the addition of 18F-DOPA (amino acid) positron emission tomography (PET)/computed tomography (CT) to standard of care (SOC) imaging can improve the clinical management of patients with brain tumors in over 50% of cases. PET is an imaging test that helps to measure the information about functions of tissues and organs within the body. A PET scan uses a radioactive drug (radiotracer) to show this activity. CT scan uses X-rays to create images of the bones and internal organs within the body. Combining a PET scan with a CT scan can help make the images easier to interpret. PET/CT scans are hybrid scanners that combine both of the two modalities into a single scan. This allows images of both anatomy (CT) and function (PET) to be taken during the same scan. The 18F-DOPA PET/CT scan is done with a very small amount of a radioactive tracer called FDOPA. The PET/CT scan is then used to detect the location of tumors. Using the 18FDOPA-PET/CT scan in addition to the SOC scan may improve the clinical management of patients with brain tumors.