A blood test that may help rule out glioblastoma
Original title: A multivariate plasma biomarker model for glioblastoma exclusion: a retrospective case-control study.
How far along is this research?
- Lab cells
- Animals
- Review
- Tested in people
This was tested in people. That is the most reliable kind of research we share.
It used blood samples from people, but the test is not ready for real care yet.
The short version
Researchers checked blood proteins to see if they could tell who does not have glioblastoma: A glioma that is given grade 4. Grade 4 is the highest grade there is. The tumor grows fast. Treatment usually starts soon after it is found. It often means surgery, and then radiation and chemotherapy. See the glossary.
What was studied. Researchers measured seven proteins in blood samples. They compared 72 people with glioblastoma: A glioma that is given grade 4. Grade 4 is the highest grade there is. The tumor grows fast. Treatment usually starts soon after it is found. It often means surgery, and then radiation and chemotherapy. See the glossary to 102 healthy people.
What they found. Two proteins, called GFAP and NfL, worked best on their own. A model that used several proteins together told the two groups apart very well. It found 98.6% of the people with glioblastoma: A glioma that is given grade 4. Grade 4 is the highest grade there is. The tumor grows fast. Treatment usually starts soon after it is found. It often means surgery, and then radiation and chemotherapy. See the glossary. It correctly cleared 100% of the healthy people.
What this means, and what it doesn't
What it could mean: A simple blood draw might one day help doctors rule out glioblastoma: A glioma that is given grade 4. Grade 4 is the highest grade there is. The tumor grows fast. Treatment usually starts soon after it is found. It often means surgery, and then radiation and chemotherapy. See the glossary. That could spare some people a scan or a biopsy. This study is an early step toward that idea.
What it doesn't mean: This does not mean a blood test for glioblastoma: A glioma that is given grade 4. Grade 4 is the highest grade there is. The tumor grows fast. Treatment usually starts soon after it is found. It often means surgery, and then radiation and chemotherapy. See the glossary is ready for you. The study looked back at stored samples from people already known to be sick or healthy. It did not test people with new symptoms who are waiting for answers. The authors say that work still needs to be done. This is not a treatment, and it is not a promise of a cure.
Source: PubMed, October 24, 2026 · Read the original
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