Two brain tumor types change in different ways over time
Original title: Divergent genomic evolution in astrocytomas and oligodendrogliomas.
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 at tumor samples from people, but no treatment was tested.
The short version
Two common brain tumor types take different paths when they grow back.
What was studied. Researchers read the genes in tumor samples from 183 people with a brain tumor type 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 mutant glioma: A tumor that starts in the glial cells. Those are the support cells of the brain and spinal cord. Gliomas are given a grade from 1 to 4. The grade says how the tumor is expected to act. See the glossary. Each person gave a sample at their first surgery and another sample later on.
What they found. Most first surgery samples were grade 2. That was 73% for astrocytomas and 93% for oligodendrogliomas. When oligodendrogliomas came back, they had picked up new changes in two genes, PI3K and NOTCH1. When astrocytomas came back, they had extra copies of some genes and had lost others. Their whole gene set looked more scrambled. In both types, these added changes went along with worse outcomes for patients.
What this means, and what it doesn't
What it could mean: The two tumor types may not respond to the same treatment in the same way. These gene changes may help explain why a tumor stops responding. In time, this could help doctors decide what to test for when a tumor comes back.
What it doesn't mean: This does not mean there is a new treatment. No drug or therapy was tested here. The team only read genes in tumor samples that were already collected. This is early science, and it is a long way from everyday care. It is not a promise of a cure.
Source: PubMed, October 14, 2026 · Read the original
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