Awake brain surgery during pregnancy for a tumor that came back
Original title: Awake craniotomy with functional mapping for recurrent high-grade IDH-mutant glioma during pregnancy: illustrative case.
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 kind of surgery is already used today, but this is a report on just one patient.
The short version
Doctors removed a growing brain tumor from a pregnant woman while she was awake.
What was studied. This is a report on one patient. She was 31 years old and 23 weeks pregnant. She already had an IDH gene change: A small change in a tumor's IDH gene. It is the first thing your team looks at when naming an adult glioma, and it can affect which treatments are offered. Your pathology report says whether your tumor has it. See the glossary 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, and it was growing again.
What they found. An MRI showed the tumor was growing. Doctors took out more of it with awake surgery and brain mapping: Finding out which parts of your brain do which jobs, like speech or movement. It can be done with a scan before an operation, or during one, by testing small spots with a tiny electric current. See the glossary. A pregnancy care team helped choose the anesthesia and her position during surgery. Recovery went smoothly, and both mother and baby stayed stable. Tests on the tumor showed it had changed to a grade 4 astrocytoma.
What this means, and what it doesn't
What it could mean: Awake brain surgery with mapping can be done while a woman is pregnant. It takes a team that includes doctors who care for pregnancy. If you are pregnant and have a 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, you can ask about that kind of team.
What it doesn't mean: This is one patient's story, not a study. One good result does not prove this is safe for everyone. It is not a promise and it is not a cure. Her tumor had already grown worse. What is right for you depends on your tumor, your health, and how far along you are.
Source: PubMed, October 5, 2026 · Read the original
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