A brain scan measure linked to how long people with glioblastoma lived
Original title: Contralateral DTI-ALPS index as a prognostic biomarker in IDH-wildtype glioblastoma: integrating extent of resection and sex-stratified analyses.
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.
This looked back at past scans in people, and it is not a treatment.
The short version
A brain scan measure may hint at how long people with this tumor live.
What was studied. Researchers looked back at records of 153 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, a fast growing brain tumor. They measured a scan score called DTI-ALPS on the side of the brain away from the tumor.
What they found. People with a higher scan score tended to live longer. This held true after the team accounted for age, sex, tumor size, and surgery. Removing at least 90% of the tumor also linked to longer life. In a smaller group of 57 people, the score did not stand out.
What this means, and what it doesn't
What it could mean: This is a scan measure, not a treatment. One day it might help doctors judge how a person's illness may go. It does not change the care you can get today.
What it doesn't mean: This does not mean a new treatment or a cure. The team only looked back at old scans and records. That kind of study cannot prove the scan score causes longer life. The authors call their own findings early and unproven. Experts also still argue about what this scan score really shows. More studies are needed before it could be used in care.
Source: PubMed, October 14, 2026 · Read the original
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