A dye free scan may help show if a glioma has come back
Original title: Efficacy of arterial spin labeling magnetic resonance perfusion in differentiating recurrent or residual high-grade glioma from post-treatment changes: A retrospective hospital-based 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.
This was a look back at past scans at one hospital, not a test proven as routine care.
The short version
A brain scan that needs no dye may help tell a returning tumor from healing after treatment.
What was studied. Doctors looked back at 71 adults treated for grade 3 or grade 4 glioma: A tumor that starts in the glial cells. Those are the support cells of the brain and spinal cord. Gliomas are given a grade from 1 to 4. The grade says how the tumor is expected to act. See the glossary. Each had a new spot on MRI, and all had a blood flow scan called ASL.
What they found. Of the 71 patients, 21 had the tumor back and 50 had changes from treatment. High blood flow showed up in 20 of 21 of the return cases. It showed up in only 1 of 50 of the treatment change cases. Overall the scan gave the right answer 97.1% of the time.
What this means, and what it doesn't
What it could mean: A new spot on an MRI does not always mean the tumor is back. This scan may help your care team tell the two apart. It uses no dye, so it may be easier to repeat over time.
What it doesn't mean: This is not a treatment and it is not a cure. It is only a scan that looks at what is already there. The team looked back at past records at one hospital, with a small number of people. Results could be different in other places or with other machines. Scans can still be wrong, and some people will still need a biopsy to know for sure.
Source: PubMed, October 16, 2026 · Read the original
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