A scan before surgery may hint at a gene change in glioma
Original title: Study on the correlation between IDH gene mutation status in gliomas and metabolic parameters in 18F-FDG PET/CT.
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 scans from people already treated, so it is a clue, not a proven test.
The short version
A PET/CT scan done before surgery may give doctors an early clue about a gene change inside a glioma: A tumor that starts in the glial cells, the support cells of the brain and spinal cord. Gliomas are graded 1 to 4 by how fast they tend to grow. See the glossary.
What was studied. Doctors looked back at the records of 85 people with glioma: A tumor that starts in the glial cells, the support cells of the brain and spinal cord. Gliomas are graded 1 to 4 by how fast they tend to grow. See the glossary. Each one had a PET/CT scan before surgery. In 34 people the tumor had a change in the IDH gene. In 51 people it did not.
What they found. Tumors without the IDH gene change: A small change in a tumor's IDH gene. Tumors with this change often grow more slowly and may respond to different treatments. Your pathology report says whether your tumor has it. See the glossary took up more of the sugar tracer used in the scan. Two of the scan measures did a moderate job of telling the two groups apart. One measure used on its own did not work well. People whose tumors had the IDH gene change were younger.
What this means, and what it doesn't
What it could mean: A scan you may already be getting could give your care team an early clue about the IDH gene before surgery. That clue could help them plan. Testing the tumor tissue in a lab is still what confirms the gene.
What it doesn't mean: This is not a treatment, and it is not a promise of a cure. It was a look back at scans that had already been done, not a trial of anything new. The scan measures were only moderately accurate, so they can point the wrong way. This does not replace testing the tumor tissue. More study is needed before it changes everyday care.
Source: PubMed, August 4, 2026 · Read the original
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