Brain tumor surgery led to a buildup of acid in the blood
Original title: Evidence of the Warburg Effect During Glioblastoma Resection Resulting in Severe Lactic Acidosis: A Case Report.
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 a single patient, not a treatment you can get.
The short version
During surgery for a brain tumor, a man's blood built up too much acid.
What was studied. Doctors wrote up the case of a single patient. He was an 84-year-old man having surgery to remove a glioblastoma: The fastest-growing type of glioma (grade 4). Treatment usually starts soon after diagnosis: surgery first, then radiation and chemotherapy. See the glossary, a type of brain tumor.
What they found. During the surgery, acid built up fast in his blood. The doctors believe the tumor was the likely cause. Tumor cells can burn sugar quickly and make this acid as waste, even when they have plenty of oxygen.
What this means, and what it doesn't
What it could mean: For patients, this is about safer surgery, not a new treatment. Care teams now have another cause to think about if acid builds up during a brain tumor operation. Knowing the tumor may be the cause can help them avoid steps that are not needed and could cause harm.
What it doesn't mean: This is a write-up of a single patient, which is the earliest kind of report. It does not test any drug or therapy. It is not a cure and it does not slow or shrink tumors. It also does not tell us how often this happens, or that it will happen to you.
Source: PubMed, August 12, 2026 · Read the original
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