A new study suggests that changes in immune function can occur as long as five years before the diagnosis of a brain tumor that typically produces symptoms only three months before it is detected. Using blood samples collected an average of 15 years before brain tumor diagnosis to analyze interactions between 12 allergy-related proteins, researchers looked at how those relationships differed between people later diagnosed with brain tumors and cancer-free controls. Among people who were subsequently diagnosed with this brain tumor, called a glioma, the analysis of blood samples showed these immune system proteins sent fewer signals to each other up to five years before diagnosis.
The interactions remained stronger among healthy controls. “Now, clinicians don’t have any way to detect the tumors until patients have symptoms, which is typically three months before diagnosis. I see…
