Sinapsos Podcast | Oncology

E13   |  11 min   |   Latest   |  Publication Link

• Podcast based on: Tykocki, T.; Rakasz, Ł. Intraoperative Spectroscopic and Mass Spectrometric Assessment of Glioma Margins: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Cancers 2026, 18, 263. https://doi.org/10.3390/cancers18020263
  Type: Systematic Review  |  Publication date: 14 January 2026
  
  
• Summary: Maximal safe removal of gliomas is crucial for improving patient survival, yet surgeons often face difficulty distinguishing tumor tissue from normal brain tissue during surgery. Traditional frozen-section analysis is accurate but slow and disrupts operative workflow. This systematic review and meta-analysis evaluated three emerging, label-free intraoperative technologies—Raman spectroscopy, mass spectrometry, and optical coherence tomography—that provide real-time biochemical or structural information to guide tumor resection. By analyzing 24 human studies involving nearly 1800 patients, we found that these techniques achieve high diagnostic accuracy in identifying tumor tissue, infiltrated margins, and key molecular features such as IDH mutation status. Raman spectroscopy and mass spectrometry showed the strongest overall performance, outperforming optical coherence tomography. Importantly, these methods offer rapid, objective feedback without interrupting surgery, supporting more precise glioma resection. Our findings indicate that real-time spectroscopic and molecular diagnostics are ready for broader clinical integration and may enhance surgical decision-making in modern neuro-oncology.
  
  
• Keywords: glioma; Raman spectroscopy; mass spectrometry; optical coherence tomography; intraoperative diagnostics; IDH mutation

License and disclaimer:
Original article © 2026 by the authors. Licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 (CC BY 4.0) license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/). This episode is an AI-generated audio adaptation of the article: the script and the voices are synthetic, changes were made, and the adaptation is not endorsed by the authors, the journal, or the publisher. It may contain errors or omissions, so consult the original publication before relying on any detail. It is for educational purposes only and is not medical advice. The creators accept no liability for any use of this content.