Two surgery dyes compared in glioblastoma operations
Original title: Contrast-enhancement-defined resection outcomes with sodium fluorescein and 5-aminolevulinic acid in glioblastoma surgery: a multicenter retrospective cohort of 1389 patients.
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.
Both dyes are already used in brain tumor surgery today.
The short version
Surgeons use dyes to see brain tumor better, and one dye was linked to more tumor being removed.
What was studied. Doctors looked back at records of 1389 people 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 at 12 European centers. 650 got a dye called fluorescein, 457 got a dye called 5-ALA, and 282 got both.
What they found. All of the tumor seen on scans was removed in 74.9% of the fluorescein group. That number was 62.6% in the 5-ALA group and 68.4% in the group that got both. People lived about the same length of time no matter which dye was used.
What this means, and what it doesn't
What it could mean: Both dyes are used to help surgeons see tumor during an operation. If you are having surgery, you can ask your team which dye they use and why.
What it doesn't mean: This does not mean one dye is better than the other. The study looked back at old records, so it cannot prove what caused what. The authors say hospital habits and which patients were picked may explain the gap. The dyes only show tumor that lights up on scans, so other tumor was not measured. This is not a cure, and it did not help people live longer.
Source: PubMed, August 26, 2026 · Read the original
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