Nearly one-third of brain tumors are gliomas. These tumors can lie dormant for months or years, then suddenly start growing rapidly in a deadly form called glioblastoma.
Gliomas traditionally have been diagnosed via surgical biopsy, an invasive procedure that is especially risky when tumors are near sensitive sites in the brain. Detecting precisely when gliomas become glioblastomas is a challenge, and the transformation requires aggressive treatment. Doctors would also like more information about how tumors respond to treatment and which treatments best target traits specific to individual tumors.
Building on fundamental imaging and metabolism research at UT Southwestern, Cancer Center scientists and physicians have developed innovative approaches to address these challenges.
