How much tumor is removed lines up with how long people live
Original title: Population-based validation of the RANO categories for extent of resection 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 was a look back at real patient records, not a test of a new treatment.
The short version
People whose surgery took out more of their glioblastoma: The fastest-growing type of glioma (grade 4). Treatment usually starts soon after diagnosis: surgery first, then radiation and chemotherapy. See the glossary tended to live longer.
What was studied. Doctors looked back at the records of 470 patients with glioblastoma: The fastest-growing type of glioma (grade 4). Treatment usually starts soon after diagnosis: surgery first, then radiation and chemotherapy. See the glossary treated at two hospitals in Norway and Sweden. Scans taken after surgery were used to sort each patient into one of four groups, based on how much tumor was removed.
What they found. Typical survival was 16 months for the group with the most removed (Class 1), 15 months for Class 2, 11 months for Class 3, and 6 months for people who had only a biopsy (Class 4). Thirty-five patients (7.5%) landed in Class 1 even though the surgeons were not trying to remove tissue beyond the tumor itself. Survival was shorter, and the gaps between the groups were smaller, than in the original study. There was no clear difference between Class 3 and Class 4.
What this means, and what it doesn't
What it could mean: How much tumor a surgeon can safely remove seems to matter. If surgery is being planned, it is fair to ask your team how much of the tumor they expect to remove, and why.
What it doesn't mean: This is not a cure, and it is not a new treatment. It was a look back at old patient records, not a trial. It does not prove that removing more tumor is what made people live longer. Some people may have lived longer because their tumor was small or in an easier spot to begin with. It does not change the care you can get today.
Source: PubMed, June 30, 2026 · Read the original
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