Age alone may not be the right way to guide glioma treatment
Original title: Prognostic and Predictive Effect of Age in Molecularly Defined Lower-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.
Researchers looked back at records from people already treated, and the guidelines have not changed yet.
The short version
In this study, the gene changes inside the tumor mattered more than the patient's age.
What was studied. Researchers looked at records from 1,619 people with lower grade 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 who took part in 11 trials or registries. They asked whether being 40 or older changed how long people went before the tumor grew, and they checked the answer again in a second group of 1,292 people.
What they found. Tumors without a change in a gene called IDH were more common in people 40 and older, 38% versus 5%. In those tumors, age did matter. 6% of people 40 and older went 5 years without the tumor growing, compared with 24% of people ages 18 to 39. In tumors that did have 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, age made almost no difference, 60% versus 59%.
What this means, and what it doesn't
What it could mean: Your age by itself may not be the best guide for deciding on treatment after surgery. The gene changes in your tumor may say more about what to expect. The authors say treatment guidelines should be updated to reflect this.
What it doesn't mean: This does not mean age never matters for anyone. Researchers looked back at information that had already been collected. They did not test a new drug or a new treatment. Guidelines have not been changed yet, so your care today may not look different. This is not a promise of a cure. Talk with your own care team before changing anything.
Source: PubMed, August 12, 2026 · Read the original
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