Brain scans may help predict a tumor gene change before surgery
Original title: Multiparametric static hybrid ¹⁸F-FET PET/MR for preoperative prediction of TERT promoter mutation in 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 looked back at scans from past patients, and the method is not yet used in regular care.
The short version
A special brain scan, along with a patient's age, may help doctors spot an important tumor gene change before surgery.
What was studied. Researchers looked back at the records of 220 people with newly found 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 at a single hospital. They checked whether a combined PET and MRI scan could predict a change in a tumor gene called TERT promoter mutation: A change in the switch that controls the TERT gene. It keeps tumor cells from aging out. It is one of several findings your team reads together to name the tumor. See the glossary, without needing tissue.
What they found. Older age and certain scan readings were linked to the TERT promoter mutation: A change in the switch that controls the TERT gene. It keeps tumor cells from aging out. It is one of several findings your team reads together to name the tumor. See the glossary gene change. Using age and the scans together worked better than using either one alone. When the gene change was there, this method found it 84.3% of the time. When it was not there, the method was right 89.4% of the time.
What this means, and what it doesn't
What it could mean: Someday, a scan like this might help doctors learn about a tumor's genes before surgery. That could help them plan care sooner.
What it doesn't mean: This is not a new treatment, and it is not a cure. The study only looked back at past patients from a single hospital. Other teams still need to test this method. It is not yet a test your doctor can order in everyday care.
Source: PubMed, September 9, 2026 · Read the original
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