A brain scan test may help spot glioma gene changes without surgery
Original title: Predictions and cross-center validation of IDH status and 1p/19q status in adult diffuse glioma with non-invasive magnetic resonance spectroscopy.
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 was tested on scans from patients who were already treated, so it is not yet a test doctors can use.
The short version
Researchers tested a special brain scan to guess a tumor's gene changes without taking a tissue sample.
What was studied. Researchers used a scan called magnetic resonance spectroscopy, which measures chemicals in the brain. They studied scans from 268 adults with diffuse glioma: A tumor that starts in the glial cells, the support cells of the brain and spinal cord. Gliomas are graded 1 to 4 by how fast they tend to grow. See the glossary at more than one hospital, using more than one brand of scanner. They looked at 48 features from 18 chemicals to see which ones pointed to two gene changes, called IDH gene change: A small change in a tumor's IDH gene. Tumors with this change often grow more slowly and may respond to different treatments. Your pathology report says whether your tumor has it. See the glossary and 1p/19q codeletion.
What they found. The chemical patterns did a good job of telling which tumors had the IDH gene change: A small change in a tumor's IDH gene. Tumors with this change often grow more slowly and may respond to different treatments. Your pathology report says whether your tumor has it. See the glossary. They also did a fair job of spotting the 1p/19q change. The results held up at the hospital where the method was built and at other hospitals, though they were somewhat weaker at the other hospitals.
What this means, and what it doesn't
What it could mean: Doctors normally learn these gene changes from a tissue sample taken during surgery or a biopsy. Some people are too sick or their tumor is too hard to reach for that. This study suggests a scan might one day give doctors helpful clues about the tumor in those cases.
What it doesn't mean: This is not a treatment. It does not shrink a tumor and it is not a cure. It is a research method that was tested on scans, not a test you can ask for at your clinic. The scan was not right every time, and it has not replaced a tissue sample. More study is needed before doctors could use it to make decisions about your care.
Source: PubMed, June 1, 2026 · Read the original
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