A special MRI scan is linked to tumor growth and survival
Original title: Diffusion Basis Spectrum Imaging (DBSI): A Multicompartment Diffusion Model Linking Regional Microstructural Heterogeneity With Proliferation and Survival in High-Grade Gliomas.
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, so it was seen in patients but is not yet used in normal care.
The short version
A special kind of MRI may show more about how a brain tumor is behaving, without surgery.
What was studied. Doctors looked back at brain scans from Ninety-one people with fast-growing gliomas. They used a scan method called DBSI. They compared the scan patterns to a lab marker of tumor growth and to how long people lived.
What they found. The scans showed different tissue patterns in different parts of the tumor. The areas that lit up with contrast seemed tied to how fast the tumor cells were dividing. The nearby areas that did not light up seemed tied to how long people lived. Having tumor in more than one spot was also tied to survival.
What this means, and what it doesn't
What it could mean: A scan like this might one day tell doctors more about a tumor without an operation. Right now it is a research tool. It may help researchers understand why tumors differ from one part to another.
What it doesn't mean: This is not a treatment, and it is not a cure. It is early research, not care you can ask for today. The doctors only looked back at scans that were already taken. That kind of study can show a link, but it cannot prove one thing causes another. It does not promise anyone will live longer.
Source: PubMed, October 2, 2026 · Read the original
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