COVID Shot Before Glioblastoma Surgery Linked to Longer Survival
Original title: Recent COVID-19 Vaccination Before Glioblastoma Surgery Is Associated With Longer Survival
How far along is this research?
This is a preprint. Other scientists have not checked it yet, so treat it as an early signal rather than an answer.
This came from looking back at patient records, not from a trial that tested the idea.
The short version
People who got a COVID shot in the weeks before glioblastoma: The fastest-growing type of glioma (grade 4). Treatment usually starts soon after diagnosis: surgery first, then radiation and chemotherapy. See the glossary surgery lived longer in this study.
What was studied. Doctors at one hospital looked back at the records of 187 adults with newly diagnosed glioblastoma: The fastest-growing type of glioma (grade 4). Treatment usually starts soon after diagnosis: surgery first, then radiation and chemotherapy. See the glossary who had a first biopsy or surgery between 2021 and 2025. They compared 64 people who got a COVID shot within 100 days before that surgery with 123 people who did not.
What they found. Typical survival was 743 days in the group that got a COVID shot before surgery. In the group that did not, it was 318 days. A flu shot was not linked to longer survival.
What this means, and what it doesn't
What it could mean: This raises a question about timing. It suggests the period around surgery may be worth studying, since the body's immune system is already active then. It does not change what your doctor can offer you today.
What it doesn't mean: This does not mean a COVID shot treats brain tumors. It is not a cure and it is not a treatment. The doctors only looked back at old records at one hospital. That kind of study cannot show that the shot caused the longer survival. Something else about these patients could explain the difference. No trial has tested this on purpose. Do not change your care because of this. Ask your own doctor about vaccines.
Source: medRxiv (preprint), July 31, 2026 · Read the original
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