A special brain scan can sometimes give false signals for a tumor marker
Original title: Pitfalls in 2HG Detection With TE-Optimized MRS at 3T.
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 scan method was studied in people, but it is not yet proven as a reliable test.
The short version
A scan that looks for a sign of some brain tumors can be fooled by other substances in healthy brain tissue.
What was studied. Researchers studied Forty-eight people who had, or might have had, a type of brain tumor called IDH-mutated glioma: A tumor that starts in the glial cells, the support cells of the brain and spinal cord. Gliomas are given a grade from 1 to 4 describing how the tumor is expected to behave. See the glossary. They used a special MRI scan to look for a substance these tumors make, in both the tumor and in healthy brain on the other side.
What they found. The scan could tell tumor apart from healthy brain, but not as well as earlier studies suggested. A normal brain chemical called GABA can look like the tumor substance on the scan. In one patient on a ketogenic diet, a substance the body makes on that diet also confused the scan.
What this means, and what it doesn't
What it could mean: This scan may sometimes show a tumor signal where there is no tumor. Doctors may need to be careful when using it alone to judge a new spot in the brain. If you are on a ketogenic diet, it may help to tell your care team before this kind of scan.
What it doesn't mean: This does not mean MRI scans are unsafe or that your past results are wrong. It is a study about how to read one special kind of scan more carefully. It is not a new treatment, and it is not a cure. Doctors still use many tests together, not just this one scan.
Source: PubMed, January 1, 2026 · Read the original
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