A spinal fluid test found a brain tumor in a pregnant woman
Original title: Molecular Tumor Board: H3K27M Diffuse Midline Glioma Diagnosed During Pregnancy by Cerebrospinal Fluid Next-Generation Sequencing.
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 is a report about one patient, not a study that tested the approach in a group of people.
The short version
Doctors diagnosed a woman's brain tumor by testing the fluid around her brain and spine, so she did not need a brain biopsy.
What was studied. This is a report about one patient. A 34-year-old woman who was 19 weeks pregnant had growing numbness and weakness on her right side. An MRI scan showed a tumor deep in her brain, so doctors tested her cerebrospinal fluid instead of taking a piece of the tumor.
What they found. The fluid test found a gene change called H3K27M. That gave her a diagnosis of diffuse midline 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, a fast-growing grade 4 brain tumor. She started radiation at 22 weeks of pregnancy, using shielding to protect the baby. After she gave birth she started a drug called dordaviprone (ONC201) and handled it well. Her scans looked better, her symptoms held steady, and she was still responding 12 months after diagnosis.
What this means, and what it doesn't
What it could mean: If a tumor sits in a place that is hard or risky to biopsy, a spinal fluid test may still be able to name it. That can let a care team plan treatment. It also shows that a team of specialists can treat a brain tumor during pregnancy.
What it doesn't mean: This is one person's story, not a study. One case cannot tell us how often the fluid test works, or who it works for. It does not mean this is now standard care, and it does not mean the fluid test can replace a biopsy. It is not proof that this treatment plan works for other people. Diffuse midline 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 is still a serious tumor with a poor outlook. This is not a cure.
Source: PubMed, July 22, 2026 · Read the original
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