Background:

Primary brain tumors are an increasingly important cause of cancer-related morbidity and mortality in this country. Little progress has been made in the treatment of patients with gliomas over the last decade. One of the largest problems in our understanding, and ultimately in our successful treatment of gliomas is the great heterogeneity between tumors.

Objective:

The purpose of this study is to generate a large publicly accessible molecular and genetic data base with prospective corollary clinical data for 1000 gliomas for the purpose of allowing investigators from around the world to ask important questions regarding the pathogenesis of these tumors, the development of novel molecular classification schemas, and the identification of potentially new and important therapeutic targets.

Eligibility:

Any patient with radiographic suggestion of a primary glial neoplasm or any patient with a known glial neoplasm.

Medically indicated (diagnostic and/or therapeutic) tumor resection, or biopsy.

Design:

All attemps will be made to obtain specimens immediately adjacent to the areas of resection taken for "permanent sections" in order to optimize the likelihood that the tumor seen on permanent sections is representative of that taken for genetic analysis.

Once tumor specimens have been acquired, they will be immediately brought to a liquid nitrogen cell/tissue storage container, -70/-80 degrees C, or -20 degrees C freezer (in order of preference) for storage.

Following storage of the specimens, the NCI-based study specimen coordinator will be contacted for determination of when frozen specimens will be sent to the NCI for analysis.

10 ml of whole blood will be obtained for analysis of SNP Analogs.

Patients will be evaluated every 6 months at a minimum.