A PET scan after surgery may show tumor that MRI misses
Original title: Identification of prognostically relevant residual tumor in glioblastoma after surgery: A comparative analysis of MR-based RANO resect classes vs. [18F]FET PET.
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 looked back at scans from real people, but this scan is not yet proven to improve care.
The short version
A special scan found leftover tumor that MRI did not show.
What was studied. Doctors looked back at the records of 140 people with a brain tumor called 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. After surgery, each person had an MRI and a special scan called FET PET.
What they found. The PET scans showed much larger areas of possible tumor than the MRI scans did. The two scans often pointed to different spots in the brain. People with more leftover tumor on PET tended to live for less time.
What this means, and what it doesn't
What it could mean: A PET scan after surgery may give doctors extra information about risk. It may point out tissue that an MRI cannot see. That could help a care team understand what is left behind.
What it doesn't mean: This is not a treatment, and it is not a cure. The doctors looked back at scans that were already taken. That kind of study cannot prove cause and effect. It does not show that using PET helps people live longer. The authors say new studies are needed to test that. PET after surgery is not standard care today.
Source: PubMed, September 4, 2026 · Read the original
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