Testing the Ability of AMG 232 (KRT 232) to Get Into the Tumor in Patients With Brain Cancer

Inclusion Criteria: * Patients must be 18 years of age or older * Patients must have a Karnofsky performance status \>= 60% (i.e. the patient must be able to care for himself/herself with occasional help from others) * Absolute neutrophil count \>= 1,500/ul * Platelets \>= 100,000/ul * Hemoglobin \>= 10 g/dL (transfuse as necessary to raise levels, no transfusions within 7 days of start) * Total bilirubin =\< 1.5 x institutional upper limit of normal (ULN) * Aspartate aminotransferase (AST) (serum glutamic oxaloacetic transaminase \[SGOT\])/alanine aminotransferase (ALT) (serum glutamate pyruvate transaminase \[SGPT\]) =\< 2.5 x institutional ULN * Alkaline phosphatase \< 2.0 x ULN * Creatinine =\< institutional ULN * Creatinine clearance \>= 60 ml/min/1.73 m\^2 for patients with creatinine levels above institutional normal * Activated partial thromboplastin time (APTT)/partial thromboplastin time (PTT) =\< 1.5 x institutional ULN * Patients must be able to provide written informed consent * Patients must have MRI within 21 days before starting treatment; patients must be able to tolerate MRI with gadolinium * Patients must be maintained on a stable corticosteroid regimen (no increase for 5 days) prior to the baseline MRI * Women of childbearing potential must have a negative serum pregnancy test prior to study entry; women of child-bearing potential must agree to use adequate contraception prior to study entry and for the duration of study participation through 5 weeks (wom…