The current treatment for high-grade gliomas involves a combination of surgery, radiation, and chemotherapy, which can lead to the development of radiation necrosis - a complication that is challenging to differentiate from tumor recurrence based on imaging alone
Both radiation necrosis and tumor recurrence can manifest within several weeks to months after receiving radiation treatment to the brain. Differentiating between the two conditions is crucial because the treatment and management options for each are significantly different.
Distinguishing between radiation necrosis and tumor recurrence poses a diagnostic challenge since they exhibit similar imaging characteristics. Both conditions appear as contrast-enhancing lesions with mass effect on routine follow-up brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) at the location where a previously identified and treated intracranial neoplasm was present.
While biopsies are the most reliable method, they are invasive and carry risks. Consequently, there is a focus on developing non-invasive techniques, such as intravoxel incoherent motion MRI