Scan shapes may hint at gene changes in brain tumors
Original title: Fractal radiomics as a virtual biopsy in glioma: A systematic review and meta-analysis of molecular status, radiogenomic associations, and survival outcomes.
How far along is this research?
- Lab cells
- Animals
- Review
- Tested in people
This looks across many earlier studies rather than running a new one.
This is a review of past studies, not a new test a patient can get.
The short version
A brain scan may someday give clues about a tumor's genes, without surgery.
What was studied. Researchers pooled results from past studies of people with glioma: A tumor that starts in the glial cells, the support cells of the brain and spinal cord. Gliomas are given a grade from 1 to 4 describing how the tumor is expected to behave. See the glossary, a kind of brain tumor. They looked at math that measures the shape and roughness of the tumor on scans. They checked if those shape patterns matched gene changes in the tumor and how long people lived.
What they found. Shape patterns on scans lined up with a gene change called 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. They also lined up with a gene change 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, but less strongly. For TERT, the swollen area around the tumor was the most useful part to measure. Tumors with more jagged or chaotic shapes were tied to twice the risk of dying.
What this means, and what it doesn't
What it could mean: In the future, a scan might give doctors early clues about a tumor's genes. That could mean less waiting or fewer invasive tests for some people. Right now, a tissue sample is still how doctors confirm which gene changes a tumor has.
What it doesn't mean: This does not mean a scan can replace a biopsy today. The authors only looked back at studies that were already done. Nothing new was tested in patients here, and no one was treated based on it. This is not a treatment and it is not a cure. It is a long way from everyday care.
Source: PubMed, October 7, 2026 · Read the original
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