A common blood test may hint at how brain tumors act after Gamma Knife
Original title: Peripheral immune-inflammatory markers associated with intracranial progression-free survival after Gamma Knife radiosurgery in patients with non-small cell lung cancer brain metastases: a retrospective cohort 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.
Doctors only looked back at records of people already treated, so nothing is proven yet.
The short version
A simple blood test may help show who is more likely to have brain tumors grow back.
What was studied. Doctors looked back at the records of 104 people with lung cancer that had spread to the brain. All of them had stereotactic radiosurgery: Radiation aimed at a small target, in one visit or a few. There is no cutting, despite the name. See the glossary radiation, and their blood was checked for signs of immune activity and swelling.
What they found. In 79 people, the brain tumors grew before the person died. 25 people died without any sign that the tumors had grown. By 12 months, 63.5% had tumor growth in the brain, and 17.3% had died without it. People with more of one kind of white blood cell compared to another had a higher risk of the tumors growing.
What this means, and what it doesn't
What it could mean: This blood test is simple and already used in normal care. It may one day help doctors spot who needs closer watching after stereotactic radiosurgery: Radiation aimed at a small target, in one visit or a few. There is no cutting, despite the name. See the glossary. It does not change how anyone is treated today.
What it doesn't mean: This is not a new treatment, and it is not a cure. The team only looked back at old records from people already treated. Nothing was tested in a trial. The scoring tool they built is still early. It has to be checked at other hospitals before doctors can use it.
Source: PubMed, October 13, 2026 · Read the original
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