A computer model guesses how fast a tumor grows from one biopsy slide
Original title: Effective tumor kinetics inferred from single routine H&E biopsies enable counterfactual virtual radiotherapy trials
How far along is this research?
This is a preprint. Other scientists have not checked it yet, so treat it as an early signal rather than an answer.
This was done only on a computer, using slides from past patients.
The short version
Scientists used ordinary biopsy slides to guess how fast a tumor grows.
What was studied. Researchers looked at routine biopsy slides from eleven groups of patients. They built a computer model that guesses how fast each tumor grows and spreads from a single slide.
What they found. The model gave each tumor its own growth speed from one slide. Those speeds lined up with how long people lived and how long tumors stayed stable. The team also ran a pretend radiation trial for glioblastoma: A glioma that is given grade 4, the highest grade. It grows fast. Treatment usually starts soon after it is found. It often means surgery, then radiation and chemotherapy. See the glossary on the computer, and matching the dose to tumor speed added 96.7 days before tumors grew in the model.
What this means, and what it doesn't
What it could mean: Someday a biopsy slide you already have may tell doctors more than it does now. It might help them pick a radiation plan that fits your tumor. Doctors cannot do this yet.
What it doesn't mean: This is not a new treatment. The trial was run only on a computer, not with real people. The 96.7 extra days happened inside the model. No patient lived longer because of this work. It is early, it is far from everyday care, and it is not a cure.
Source: medRxiv (preprint), September 12, 2026 · Read the original
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