Faster tumor growth before treatment is linked to shorter survival
Original title: Pretherapeutic Tumor Growth Velocity Refines Survival Stratification Beyond Clinical, Molecular, and Surgical Factors in IDH-Mutant 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 scans from people already treated, so this is a way to judge risk, not a treatment.
The short version
In this study, slow-growing gliomas that grew faster before treatment were tied to a shorter life.
What was studied. Researchers looked back at records of 569 adults with grade 2-3 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 gliomas at three centers in France. They used MRI scans taken before treatment to measure how fast each tumor grew.
What they found. In the main group of 440 patients, 73 people died during the follow-up years. Faster tumor growth before treatment was linked to a higher chance of dying sooner. This link held even after the team allowed for age, sex, tumor grade, gene test results, and how much tumor was left after surgery. The same link showed up again in a second group of 129 patients.
What this means, and what it doesn't
What it could mean: Growth speed comes from MRI scans that many patients already get. It may help doctors judge risk more closely, and the team saw the most added value in astrocytoma. A clearer sense of risk can guide talks about treatment and how often to scan.
What it doesn't mean: This is not a treatment, and it is not a cure. It does not change the care a patient can get today. The team looked back at old records instead of testing anything new in a trial. A fast-growing tumor does not decide what will happen to any one person. More work is needed before this is part of everyday care.
Source: PubMed, November 3, 2026 · Read the original
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