A special brain scan may show where a tumor will grow back
Original title: Diffusion Anisotropy Predicts Directional Progression After Complete Resection of Frontal Glioblastoma.
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 small look back at scans people already had, not a new treatment.
The short version
A scan taken before surgery may help doctors guess which way the tumor will return.
What was studied. Doctors looked back at 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 in the front of the brain. All 29 had surgery that removed the tumor doctors could see on scans. Each one also had a special MRI scan, called DTI, before surgery.
What they found. The tumor came back most often toward the middle of the brain (52%) or toward the back (48%). One measure from the DTI scan, called DTI-q, guessed the direction better than the usual MRI views. Where the tumor came back also lined up with how people did. Return at the lower part went with the worst survival, and return toward the middle went with the best.
What this means, and what it doesn't
What it could mean: Doctors may be able to plan surgery around where a tumor is likely to spread. That could let them take out a bit more tissue in a safer direction. The study said this looked possible for 48% of the patients.
What it doesn't mean: This is not a cure and not a new treatment. It was a small look back at records of 29 people. The scan does not stop the tumor from coming back. It only gives a hint about where. It is not a regular part of care yet, and more work is needed first.
Source: PubMed, September 23, 2026 · Read the original
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