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Medics have learned how to predict the development of brain cancer
Last reviewed: 02.07.2025
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Scientists have discovered that the human immune system changes its activity approximately five years before the appearance of a cancerous brain tumor. This conclusion was made based on experiments conducted by specialists from the American Ohio University.
"Even before a brain tumor can be detected, a change in protein interactions occurs in the body, which leads to a disruption in the transmission of information from one immune structure to another. If this information is skillfully used, then it is possible to learn how to diagnose brain cancer in advance," explains the essence of the study, epidemiologist Dr. Judy Schwarzbaum.
The course of the research is described in detail in the scientific journal Plos One: scientists reported on the experiments that made it possible to more thoroughly study a tumor such as glioma - this is the most common malignant brain tumor. On average, people with such a diagnosis live no more than 14 months from the moment the tumor is discovered.
From the moment signs of glioma appear until its diagnosis, it usually takes 2-4 months. The tumor develops rapidly, so the probability of recovery from the disease is low.
"By paying attention only to the clinical signs of a tumor, doctors are losing precious time. It is necessary to come up with laboratory tests that would help to identify the cancer process at the initial stage of its development in order to make a timely diagnosis and begin treatment," the authors of the studies claim.
Scientists also take into account the fact that conducting laboratory tests on absolutely all patients for early diagnosis of cancer is unrealistic and also financially impractical.
Dr. Schwarzbaum tested the blood of nearly a thousand volunteers: one in two of them eventually developed a brain tumor. The blood samples were collected from the Norwegian archive of biological materials.
It is worth noting that Dr. Schwarzbaum has been studying the relationship between the allergic process and tumor development for many years. During her experiments, the role of cytokines, protein structures that establish communication between immune system cells, was established. Based on the results of her latest project, the doctor suggested that an allergic reaction provides some protection against the malignant process – precisely by increasing the amount of cytokines.
An assessment of patients' blood samples revealed that at the initial stage of cancer development, there is a disruption in the relationship between individual cytokines. Against the background of this disruption, immunity weakens, which allows the neoplasm to actively develop.
"It has been noted that a couple of years before the first signs of glioma are detected, a pronounced disruption of the cytokine relationship can be seen. It may well be that this is the mechanism of the origin and development of the cancer process," the scientists are confident.
Changes in cytokines are important not only for successful diagnosis, but also for developing an effective treatment plan for brain oncology: regular stimulation of the immune defense can help in the fight against tumors.
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