A gene change may affect how well tumor treating fields work for glioblastoma
Original title: PTEN homozygous deletion is a negative prognostic factor in tumor treating fields-treated glioblastoma, IDH wildtype patients.
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 patients, and the gene test is not yet used to guide care.
The short version
People with 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 did worse on a treatment called tumor treating fields: A treatment that uses alternating electric fields to interfere with tumor cells dividing. It is given through pads worn on the scalp, connected to a portable device. The device is often called Optune. See the glossary when their tumor had lost a gene called PTEN.
What was studied. Researchers looked at the tumors of 64 people with 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. All had surgery, radiation with chemo, and tumor treating fields: A treatment that uses alternating electric fields to interfere with tumor cells dividing. It is given through pads worn on the scalp, connected to a portable device. The device is often called Optune. See the glossary. They checked the tumors for gene changes. They also compared them with 175 people who did not get tumor treating fields.
What they found. People whose tumors had lost both copies of a gene called PTEN did worse on tumor treating fields: A treatment that uses alternating electric fields to interfere with tumor cells dividing. It is given through pads worn on the scalp, connected to a portable device. The device is often called Optune. See the glossary. They had a higher risk of dying. In the 175 people who did not get this treatment, losing PTEN was not linked to how long they lived. Two known signs, a tumor marker called MGMT promoter methylation: MGMT is a gene whose protein repairs damage to a tumor's DNA. Methylation turns it down. Your report says how much, and your team uses that when they choose chemotherapy. The line between high and low is not settled. See the glossary and how well a person could do daily tasks, were linked to living longer.
What this means, and what it doesn't
What it could mean: Someday, a tumor test for PTEN might help doctors guess who is likely to get the most help from tumor treating fields: A treatment that uses alternating electric fields to interfere with tumor cells dividing. It is given through pads worn on the scalp, connected to a portable device. The device is often called Optune. See the glossary. That could help patients and doctors weigh this choice together.
What it doesn't mean: This does not mean tumor treating fields: A treatment that uses alternating electric fields to interfere with tumor cells dividing. It is given through pads worn on the scalp, connected to a portable device. The device is often called Optune. See the glossary will not work for you. It was a small study that looked back at past patients. The finding needs to be tested in more people before doctors use it. It does not change care today, and it is not a cure.
Source: PubMed, September 10, 2026 · Read the original
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