A new MRI scan may help tell tumor growth from treatment effects
Original title: Multi-molecular saturation-transfer MR fingerprinting for differentiating tumor progression from treatment-related change in post-treatment IDH-wildtype glioblastoma: a feasibility 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 an early look back at scans from a small group of people, not a treatment you can get.
The short version
Doctors tested a special MRI scan to see if it can tell whether a spot on a brain scan is the tumor growing back or just changes from treatment.
What was studied. Researchers looked back at 24 people with glioblastoma: The fastest-growing type of glioma (grade 4). Treatment usually starts soon after diagnosis: surgery first, then radiation and chemotherapy. See the glossary at one hospital. All of them had a suspicious change on their scans after chemotherapy and radiation. Each one had a special MRI scan called ST-MRF, which measures certain molecules in the brain.
What they found. One measurement from the scan, called APT, was higher in people whose tumor was growing than in people whose changes came from treatment. Another measurement, called MTC, was lower in the people whose tumor was growing. People with higher APT levels also tended to live for a shorter time.
What this means, and what it doesn't
What it could mean: If this holds up, a scan like this could one day help your care team answer a hard question sooner. After treatment, a new spot on a scan can mean the tumor is back, or it can mean the treatment did its job and left changes behind. Telling those apart today often means waiting, or having surgery to take a sample.
What it doesn't mean: This does not mean the scan is ready for you. It was an early feasibility study, which means the researchers were just checking whether the idea works at all. It looked back at records from only 24 people at a single hospital, and it did not test the scan in a live setting to see if it changes what doctors decide. It is not a treatment, and it is not a cure. You cannot ask for this scan as part of normal care right now. Larger studies at more hospitals are needed before anyone knows if it is reliable.
Source: PubMed, August 3, 2026 · Read the original
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