A glioblastoma diagnosis is difficult for patients and loved ones. Patients and caregivers should seek out compassionate healthcare providers that can provide support.
A glioblastoma is a cancerous tumor that forms when cells do not die as they should. It grows quickly and may take up space within the brain. It often grows near areas of the brain that control functions such as movement and speech.
Glioblastoma, or GBM, is the most common and most serious type of brain tumor. It starts in the brain cells called astrocytes, which normally support nerve cells. These cells grow quickly and form a mass (tumor) that often contains new blood vessels and areas of dead cells. The tumor usually invades other areas of the brain and spinal cord, but rarely spreads beyond the central nervous system.
GBMs can happen at any age, but they occur more often in people over 60. They are more common in men than women. The symptoms depend on where the tumor is located and how aggressive it is. They include headaches that get worse over time, nausea and vomiting, blurred or double vision, and seizures in about 20-40% of people with a glioblastoma.
In general, the sooner a person gets diagnosed and treated, the better their chances for recovery. If symptoms become severe or life-threatening, a patient may be referred to a palliative care specialist, who can help relieve pain and improve quality of life.
Some brain tumors, like glioblastoma, are caused by genetic mutations that lead to uncontrolled cell growth. However, the causes of these mutations aren’t well understood.
A person’s chance of getting a brain tumor or other type of cancer is influenced by many things, including family history and previous exposure to radiation. Some of these risk factors, such as age and a family history of brain tumors, can’t be changed.
The first step in a diagnosis of a glioblastoma is to see a doctor who specializes in brain tumors. The doctor will ask about your symptoms and do a physical exam. Then the doctor will use imaging tests to find out what kind of tumor you have, such as a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scan, computed tomography (CT) scan or magnetic resonance spectroscopy. The doctor will also take a sample of tissue (biopsy) to look at under a microscope to find out what the tumor is made of and its grade.
Some people with a glioblastoma can participate in clinical trials of new treatments. These trials can give you a chance to try different treatments and learn what works best for you.
Glioblastoma is the most common type of brain tumor in adults. It is also one of the most aggressive and deadly types of brain cancer. It grows quickly and can spread to nearby brain tissue.
GBM develops from glial cells, which are glue-like tissues that hold nerve cells in place and help them work. The cells can change (mutate) and grow out of control. They can form a mass or lump, and may grow into areas that aren’t normally affected by tumors. Tumors are classified by how fast they grow and how aggressively they spread. Glioblastoma is classified as a grade 4 brain tumor.
The cancer usually starts in the cerebrum, the largest part of your brain. It can also start in other parts of the brain and in the spinal cord. Most often, the tumor forms in the frontal and temporal lobes. These areas control emotions, memory, and motor function. Glioblastoma has a high survival rate for children and adolescents, but the chances of surviving the disease decline as people get older.
Symptoms of Glioblastoma can be mild or severe. Headaches are the most common symptom and can be the first sign of a brain tumor. They can be severe and unrelenting, and are different from headaches caused by migraines or tension. They typically don’t respond to over-the-counter pain relievers. Other symptoms include changes in your personality, trouble concentrating, difficulty walking or moving your arms or legs, and seizures.
It is important to see a doctor right away if you have any of these symptoms. The doctor will want to run tests to check your symptoms and diagnose you. You may have a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scan to see how the brain tumor is growing. You might also have a positron emission tomography (PET) scan to find out whether the tumor is using up energy and if it is spreading.
There is no cure for Glioblastoma, but treatments can reduce your symptoms and help you feel better. The most common treatment is surgery to remove the tumor (craniotomy). Radiation and chemotherapy are often used in combination with surgery.
If you have symptoms that suggest a brain tumor, your doctor will order imaging tests. These may include MRI or CT scans with contrast. They can help find the location of your tumor and show its size. You also might get a magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) or positron emission tomography (PET) scan. These scans measure the oxygen levels in your brain cells and can spot signs of cancer.
A neurologist (a doctor who specializes in treating brain disorders) will do a neurological exam. This will check your balance, reflexes, vision and hearing. It will help determine which area of the brain the tumor is in. It’s important to know the location because different areas of the brain control different functions.
Your doctors will need to do a biopsy to confirm the diagnosis of glioblastoma. They can do this either before surgery or during surgery to remove the tumor. The tissue will then be tested to see if it is GBM or another type of brain cancer.
Once the glioblastoma is diagnosed, your doctor can plan your treatment. It’s important to treat this brain cancer quickly because it grows so fast and can spread to other parts of the body. The most common initial treatment for a glioblastoma is surgery. Your surgeon will likely use a craniotomy to open the skull and remove part or all of your tumor.
You’ll probably get radiation therapy after surgery to kill any remaining cancer cells and to reduce the risk of the tumor recurring. Your doctor will also give you chemotherapy to prevent the growth of new cancer cells and to ease your symptoms.
You’ll need regular follow-up with your doctor to make sure the glioblastoma doesn’t come back (recur). This will usually include a physical exam and an MRI or PET scan. If the glioblastoma returns, your doctor will plan different treatments. They might use more intensive surgery and radiation or give you a drug that targets the mutations that cause this cancer to grow. They might also try other experimental therapies or oral chemotherapy.
There is no cure for glioblastoma, but treatment can help reduce symptoms and slow tumor growth. The first step in GBM treatment is surgery to remove the tumor (craniotomy). Radiation therapy and chemotherapy are also important treatments for GBM. Radiation uses S-rays to kill cancer cells and prevent them from growing. You may receive up to 30 daily radiation treatments over six weeks. Newer radiation treatments such as intensity modulated radiation therapy and boron neuron capture therapy use less radiation and minimize damage to healthy brain tissue.
Chemotherapy uses drugs to stop cancer cells from growing or spreading. You may receive standard chemotherapies or experimental therapies. Molecular-targeted agents target specific proteins involved in cancer cell growth or survival. They are most effective in patients with tumors that have certain molecular features, such as IDH mutations or amplification of the EGFR gene.
Some glioblastomas have low levels of an enzyme that destroys cancer cells, called MGMT. These lowered levels are caused by a change in DNA, called promoter methylation. This happens when carbon and three hydrogen atoms are added to the DNA promoter of the MGMT gene, which turns it off. Glioblastomas with MGMT promoter methylation are more resistant to chemotherapies.
Glioblastomas are primary brain tumors, which means they start in the brain. They are different from metastatic brain tumors, which start in other organs and then spread to the brain.
Because glioblastomas are fast-growing, they are hard to treat. They can grow into areas of the brain that control movement and coordination, so doctors must carefully plan how much of the tumor to remove. They can also spread from the site of the tumor to other parts of the brain through connections between fibers in the brain or the ventricular system.
Because of the limited number of treatments available for GBM, we are always looking for ways to improve them. We offer a variety of clinical trials for patients with glioblastoma, including immunotherapy. This treatment gives your body’s natural defenses a boost against the tumor by changing the way your immune system recognizes cancer cells.
Glioblastoma is a cancerous brain tumor. It grows quickly and affects the brain and spinal cord. It can be hard to treat.
The earliest symptom is usually a throbbing headache. You may also feel weak or numb. It can be hard to communicate or concentrate.
Doctors don’t know what causes glioblastoma. But they think it has something to do with genes.
Most people have experienced headaches at some point, but Glioblastoma (GBM)-related headaches are different. They can be severe and throbbing, depending on where the tumor is located. They can also be made worse by coughing, sneezing or changing positions. Over-the-counter pain medications such as acetaminophen (Tylenol) and ibuprofen (Advil) typically won’t help with these types of headaches.
As brain tumors grow, they consume more space within the skull, which causes a rise in intracranial pressure. This pressure affects the fluids and blood vessels in your head, resulting in headache. These headaches can also be aggravated by changes in hormone levels.
A glioblastoma is an advanced type of brain tumor that’s found in the glue-like cells called glial cells that surround nerve cells throughout the body. The name glioblastoma refers to the aggressiveness of this type of brain cancer.
Glioblastoma is most commonly found in the cerebrum of your brain. Other types of gliomas include oligodendroglioma, astrocytoma and ependymoma. Each of these types of gliomas has its own specific symptoms, but overall GBM is one of the most deadly forms of brain cancer. It can cause long-term memory loss and a variety of other health problems.
Glioblastoma (also called glioblastoma multiforme or GBBM) is the most common type of brain cancer. It grows from glue-like cells that surround nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord. These tumors can be found at any age, but they tend to develop more often in adults and men.
Symptoms of a glioblastoma vary depending on where in the brain the tumor is located, how large it is and how fast it’s growing. Some people have very few symptoms, while others experience worsening of everyday things such as headaches and nausea.
Nausea may be a sign that a glioblastoma is getting larger or has spread to other parts of the brain. It can also occur when the tumor causes pressure on areas of the brain that control movement and balance. This can lead to weakness on one side of the body, difficulty speaking and trouble walking.
The first step in treatment is usually surgery. A brain surgeon, or neurosurgeon, will try to remove as much of the glioblastoma as possible. However, because these tumors grow into healthy tissue around them, it’s not possible to get rid of all the cancer cells. That’s why other treatments, such as radiation and chemotherapy, are used afterwards.
A young high-school student has been diagnosed with a brain tumor that experts warn is life-threatening. The tumor is called a Glioblastoma Multiforme, or GBM. It’s an aggressive brain tumor that is part of a group of cancerous brain tumours known as astrocytomas. Glioblastomas form in star-shaped cells called astrocytes that help support nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord.
These tumors are very fast-growing and can spread to nearby areas of the brain. They usually start in astrocytes, but they can also form in other types of brain cells. GBMs are made up mostly of abnormal astrocytes but they can contain blood vessels and areas of dead cells (necrosis).
The symptoms of a Glioblastoma are similar to those of other brain tumours, such as a headache or vomiting. But this type of tumour can also cause other symptoms, such as seizures and changes in vision or personality.
GBM is the most common primary malignant brain tumour in adults. It occurs in people of all ages, but it’s most often found in older adults. Only about 25 percent of people with the tumour survive more than one year after diagnosis. In some cases, the tumour can regrow even after surgery and chemotherapy.
Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) is an aggressive, life-threatening brain cancer. It is the most common malignant brain tumor in adults and can grow quickly. This cancer starts in star-shaped brain cells called astrocytes. These cells normally help support and nourish nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord. Glioblastoma forms from these cells and grows into surrounding brain tissue, pushing out healthy brain cells.
Symptoms develop when the tumor presses on, or damages, healthy brain cells and interferes with the normal flow of fluid around the brain. The symptoms can vary depending on where the glioma is located and how fast it is growing.
Headaches are the most common symptom in a person with a glioma. They can be severe, and often get worse when the patient tries to sleep or wakes up. They can also be accompanied by nausea and vomiting.
Dizziness can occur when the tumor pushes on the cerebellum or other parts of the brain. It can be aggravated by coughing, exercise or changing body position. It can also be a side effect of certain brain tumor treatments, such as chemotherapy or radiation therapy. This is because the treatment can cause the brain to swell, which puts pressure on nearby areas of the brain and can trigger dizziness.
Glioblastoma (GBM) is the most advanced and aggressive type of brain tumor. They develop from glue-like cells called glial cells that surround nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord. They can grow quickly and invade nearby brain tissue, making 100% removal impossible. They also form a blood-brain barrier that prevents some treatments from reaching the tumor.
Symptoms of Glioblastoma often include headaches, vomiting, loss of balance or vision and seizures. These symptoms may get worse over time. If they aren’t managed or treated, they can lead to death within one to five years.
Seizures are caused by a change in the normal patterns of electrical activity in your brain. When this happens, you can lose consciousness and jerk your arms and legs or have a staring episode that can last for 30 minutes or more. You can also have numbness, tingling, unusual smells or sensations and trouble speaking. The type of seizure you have depends on where your brain tumour is and what part of the brain it controls.
Your doctor can diagnose Glioblastoma by examining you, taking a sample of your brain tissue and using an MRI scan. They may recommend surgery, radiation and chemotherapy. They may prescribe anti-seizure medication to help manage the symptoms.
Glioblastoma is one of the most aggressive and difficult tumors to treat. Long term survivors have been documented, but the prognosis remains poor. Honest discussions about prognosis and symptom management are essential.
Currently, maximally safe surgical resection followed by radiotherapy and concomitant TMZ is the mainstay of treatment. This combination has immunosuppressive effects.
Glioblastoma (GBM) is a highly malignant brain tumor that is almost always fatal. Although there are very few treatments for the disease, patients who have favorable tumor genetics and are younger at diagnosis typically live longer. However, the average lifespan after a glioblastoma diagnosis is 12 to 15 months, and fewer than 5% of those diagnosed with the aggressive cancer survive five years or more.
Surgical removal of the tumor is critical to survival, and surgery can be used alone or in combination with radiation and chemotherapy. It is important to find a surgeon who is experienced with Glioblastoma, so you should ask your healthcare provider for suggestions. You can also ask friends and family for recommendations. Once you have a list of names, you should research them to make sure they are in your insurance network and that they have a good reputation.
In most cases, Glioblastoma will require some type of craniotomy, where the surgeon will open your skull to reach the tumor site. During the surgery, your surgeon will often use image-guided techniques and intraoperative mapping to help them find and remove as much of the tumor as possible. Functional MRI, which shows which parts of the brain become active when you perform certain tasks, is also useful for this purpose.
Once the surgery is complete, you will be transferred to a recovery room where nurses will monitor your condition for a few hours. This area is sometimes called the post-op or PACU (post-anesthesia care unit). Your parents can visit you in this room, but you may not remember what they say because of the anesthesia. Once you are awake, your surgeon will speak with you and your parents about how the surgery went.
Radiation therapy kills cancer cells and reduces the size of tumors by burning them from the inside. It is one of the most common treatments for Glioblastoma and is often used in combination with chemotherapy and surgery. Radiation works by targeting cancer cells with high-energy X-rays or protons that are targeted to the tumor site. It is most effective when a radiation oncologist, who is a specialist in this type of treatment, plans the dose and delivery for each session with the help of CT or MRI scans.
With external beam radiation therapy, you lie on a table while a machine creates and directs high-energy radiation beams to the tumor from many different angles. The oncologist carefully adjusts the radiation to target the tumor while sparing healthy tissue nearby. You receive multiple sessions of treatment, usually five days a week for several weeks. Your treatment will be based on the size of your tumor and how close to the surface it is, as well as how much of the brain is affected by the tumor. Form-fitting supports or a plastic mesh mask may be used to hold you in place and help you stay still.
You may also be treated with a newer technique called stereotactic body radiotherapy, which uses MRI to guide the radiation. This allows for real-time monitoring of your tumor, allowing the oncologist to fine-tune the radiation on a daily basis. This can help minimize damage to surrounding tissue, and is especially important for treating brain tumors.
Another type of radiation is internal radiation, which happens when your oncologist inserts radioactive implants into the tumor or around it. These are either temporary or permanent. They are made of materials like gold or titanium, and may be attached to a tube called a catheter or applicator. You receive this treatment in a special outpatient radiology suite or sometimes in a hospital, and the procedure takes a few minutes to a few days, depending on what part of your body is being treated.
Chemotherapy is a drug treatment that kills cancer cells and prevents them from growing or spreading. It may be given with radiation or by itself. It may also be used before or after surgery.
The most common way to receive chemotherapy is in a vein, called intravenous (IV). A needle sticks into your bloodstream and connects with tubing to a plastic bag that holds the chemotherapy drugs. Most people receive IV chemotherapy in a hospital or clinic. You can also get it at home with a pump that attaches to a catheter or port, which is a thin tube that goes into a large vein near the heart and stays in place during treatment. The pump controls how much chemotherapy you receive and when.
Some chemotherapy drugs can be taken by mouth in pill or liquid form. Others are injected into the muscle or under the skin. You may also get chemotherapy through a tube that goes into a tumor, which is called intrathecal chemotherapy. Other types of chemotherapy include hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy (HIPEC), which puts heated chemotherapy into the abdomen after surgery, and hepatic arterial infusion, which delivers chemotherapy directly to the liver.
Before receiving chemotherapy, doctors will do a blood test to see how healthy your red and white blood cells are. They will also check your liver function, as the liver breaks down chemotherapy chemicals. If these levels are too low, a doctor may delay your chemotherapy until your liver recovers.
Some people who get Glioblastoma have a gene mutation that makes their tumor cells more sensitive to chemotherapy. Research suggests that patients with this type of tumor might benefit from combination lomustine-TMZ therapy.
Glioblastoma (GBM) is the most common and aggressive form of brain cancer in adults. Despite advances in surgical resection, radiation and chemotherapy, the disease is often fatal. However, new therapies, including tumor-treating fields and immunotherapy, provide hope for enhanced survival.
Immunotherapy uses your own immune system to fight cancerous cells. Your care team will decide if immunotherapy is right for you. Immunotherapy can be given alone or in combination with surgery, radiation and chemotherapy.
The body’s natural immune system is designed to protect us from foreign substances like pathogens and abnormal cells. However, cancer cells can become invisible to the immune system, making them difficult for your body to detect and attack. Immunotherapy seeks to reset your immune system so it can recognize cancerous cells and attack them.
Checkpoint inhibitors are drugs that block the signals that switch off lymphocytes, allowing them to recognise and destroy cancerous cells. They are currently the most widely used immunotherapy for glioblastoma and can be prescribed on the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme.
Other immunotherapy treatments target specific proteins that the tumour cell expresses, or the ways the tumour cells suppress the immune response. For example, chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cell therapy gives you large amounts of T cells that have been genetically engineered to specifically find and attack your cancer. Other immunotherapy techniques involve boosting your immune system’s natural ability to recognise cancerous cells by using a vaccine, or using artificial versions of proteins that help the immune system work better, such as interferon and interleukin. Your care team will talk you through these options and their risks and benefits.
Clinical trials offer a way for patients to explore innovative therapies that may not be available through standard treatment options. Because glioblastoma is highly resistant to current treatments and almost always recurs, developing new treatment approaches is critical for improving survival. The Rogel Cancer Center’s team of neuro-oncologists conducts a number of ongoing trials that are investigating novel strategies, including immunotherapy, radiation therapy and chemotherapy.
While clinical trials can provide important data on the efficacy of promising agents, they can also introduce substantial challenges that must be addressed in order to achieve tangible progress against this disease. For example, requiring eligibility criteria such as previous receipt of traditional standard of care may unnecessarily exclude a large percentage of eligible patients and reduce the generalizability of trial results (43).
Another potential barrier to clinical trials is patient dissatisfaction with the use of control arms that are perceived to be marginally effective. In addition, randomized phase III trials in newly diagnosed and recurrent Glioblastoma typically require more time and resources than non-randomized phase II studies (44).
For example, a new study aimed at recurrent glioblastoma that is currently recruiting patients at Columbia includes a combination of the checkpoint inhibitor pembrolizumab with the standard of care Survivin/sargramostim/Montanide regimen that has been validated in prior trials. Another new recurrent glioblastoma study is evaluating selinexor, an experimental drug that works by inhibiting purine metabolism, in combination with nivolumab and low dose bevacizumab.
The Columbia team is also collaborating on a global trial called GBM AGILE that uses an adaptive platform to test the effectiveness of various combinations in both newly diagnosed and recurrent glioblastoma. In this model, a Bayesian adaptively randomized screening stage identifies promising combinations and then transitions to a secondary confirmatory confirmatory phase that utilizes fixed randomization.
Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) is a brain tumor that grows quickly and invades the healthy surrounding brain tissue. It is the most common primary brain cancer in adults.
Glioblastomas are categorized by their cells of origin, which helps the medical team decide on treatment. Surgery is usually the first step, followed by radiation, chemotherapy and Tumor Treating Fields.
Astrocytomas grow from a type of brain cell called an astrocyte, which help support the nerve cells in the brain and pass messages between them. They are the most common type of primary brain tumor and usually affect adults. They may be found in any part of the brain and can be found alone or with other types of tumors.
Doctors classify astrocytomas into different grades, depending on how abnormal the cells look and how fast they grow. They also look at the structure of the tumor and its location in the brain. The higher the grade, the more aggressive the astrocytoma is.
Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) accounts for more than 50% of all astrocytomas and is the most aggressive type of brain tumor. It grows quickly and spreads throughout the brain and spinal cord. It typically occurs in adults between the ages of 50 and 70. Glioblastoma is not a curable cancer, but doctors can treat symptoms to improve quality of life.
A biopsy is a procedure that removes a small sample of the tumor for testing. It’s usually done during surgery to remove the astrocytoma, but sometimes it is done with a needle if the tumor is in an area that can’t be reached with surgical tools. The tissue is then sent to a laboratory for testing. The results can help doctors make a diagnosis and recommend treatment options.
Other types of glioblastoma include oligodendroglioma, which develops in cells that produce myelin, the fatty covering that protects nerves in the brain and spinal cord. This is a very rare type of brain tumor. It is found mostly in the cerebrum and usually affects middle-aged adults.
Mixed astrocytomas, which are made up of more than one type of glial cell, can be hard to diagnose and often are misclassified as other types of brain tumor. They are most commonly found in the cerebellum and may be associated with a condition known as tuberous sclerosis. This type of astrocytoma usually grows inside the ventricles, which are fluid-filled spaces deep into the brain. It can block the normal flow of this fluid, causing hydrocephalus.
Oligodendrogliomas are low-grade tumors that start in cells called oligodendrocytes. These cells make a substance that helps protect nerves and controls the flow of signals in the brain and spinal cord. Oligodendrocytes have a main cell body and dozens of arm-like extensions that wrap around the axons of nearby neurons (this is why they are sometimes called “tree-like”). The oligodendrocytes create a fatty sheath, called the myelin sheath, to help maintain signal speed as it passes from one neuron to the next. Oligodendrogliomas can grow in the brain and spinal cord and cause problems such as seizures, weakness or disability, and headaches.
The World Health Organization grades a tumor according to how fast it grows and how likely it is to spread. Oligodendroglioma is usually a grade 2 tumor that grows slowly and rarely spreads to other parts of the brain or spinal cord. However, oligodendroglioma can sometimes change into a malignant tumor (grade 3 anaplastic oligodendroglioma) that is fast-growing and likely to spread.
Most oligodendrogliomas develop in the cerebrum, which is the largest part of the brain. They most often form in the frontal lobe, which is behind the forehead and influences personality and reasoning, but they can occur anywhere in the cerebrum or along the spinal cord. Certain genetic syndromes, such as neurofibromatosis 1 and tuberous sclerosis, increase the risk of oligodendroglioma.
Oligodendrogliomas are treatable, but they are not cured. The most common treatment is surgery to remove the tumor or as much of it as possible. Your care team may also recommend radiation therapy or chemotherapy. The type of chemo your care team uses depends on the oligodendroglioma’s grading and location in the brain. It can also depend on your age, general health when you are diagnosed and other factors such as how many times your oligodendroglioma has come back (recurrent).
Gliomas are usually slow-growing tumors that do not spread to other parts of the brain or body. They have a high survival rate. Despite this, they can cause symptoms like headache, weakness and memory difficulties.
The tumors grow by dividing and multiplying cells. This process is called mitosis. The resulting mass grows and often presses on surrounding nerves and structures, which can lead to pain, loss of balance and a headache. In some cases, the tumor can produce toxins that can affect the nervous system and cause a seizure.
Doctors classify the tumor’s level of malignancy based on its microscopic appearance and growth rate. The tumor can also be classified based on its DNA structure. The World Health Organization (WHO) grades gliomas I-IV with lower-grade tumors having a better prognosis.
Glioblastoma is the most aggressive and deadly type of glioma. The WHO grade IV tumors, which are infiltrative and invasive, have the worst prognosis.
To determine what kind of glioma you have, your doctor will examine you and perform tests like an MRI scan. They will also order blood tests to look for certain gene changes that can indicate the type of glioma you have. For example, they will check for a mutation in the IDH gene. IDH (isocitrate dehydrogenase) mutations in brain tumors are associated with a worse prognosis.
Your doctor will use information from the brain biopsy to decide what treatment is best for you. They will give you a treatment plan with the goal of curing the glioma or improving your symptoms.
Surgery is the most common treatment for a glioma. They may also recommend radiation and chemotherapy. The types of medications used depend on the tumor type and grade, as well as other factors like your baseline medical condition and age.
Getting medications into the brain is difficult. The blood vessels for the central nervous system are designed to stop diseases and toxins from reaching this area. This feature, known as the blood-brain barrier, can prevent some drugs from reaching brain tumors. In addition, a single tumor contains many different types of cells, which means that a drug that works for some of these cells may not work for the others. At MD Anderson, researchers are exploring new ways to deliver medications to the brain and fight glioblastoma.
Glioblastomas (grade IV) are the most serious and fastest-growing tumors. They start in the star-shaped astrocytes, which clean and support neurons. They usually grow in the frontal or temporal lobes of the brain but can also be found in the cerebellum, brain stem and spinal cord. Glioblastomas are more common in adults and have a worse prognosis than lower-grade gliomas.
They can recur and spread quickly, making them hard to treat. Often, they have finger-like projections into the brain that can be difficult to remove completely with surgery. The blood-brain barrier prevents many types of treatment from reaching the tumor cells. And the tumor cells have many different types, which makes them harder to target with chemotherapy.
The genetic makeup of a glioma helps doctors determine its grade. This information guides the best treatment option. For example, some gliomas have mutations in genes that make them more likely to be cancerous. Molecular profiling (the detection of specific genes or proteins in the tumor) helps us identify these genetic variations and understand how they affect the behavior of the tumor cells.
Doctors can usually diagnose a glioma by taking a sample of the tissue and testing it in the lab. The sample is then analyzed to find out how fast the cells are growing and whether they look more like normal or abnormal cells. MRIs and other imaging tests can help doctors determine the location, size and type of the tumor.
If the glioma is grade III or higher, doctors may recommend radiation therapy, chemotherapy and other treatments to improve the patient’s prognosis. These can be administered in a combination of ways to maximize their effectiveness.
After completing the initial treatment plan, patients must follow up with regular brain scans to monitor for signs of a recurrence. Sometimes the MRI scans will show an area that looks like a new tumor, but this is often dead or changing healthy tissue that has been damaged by radiation and/or chemotherapy.
Researchers are focusing on improving the treatment of glioblastoma by targeting specific tumor cells. They are investigating drugs that can penetrate the blood-brain barrier and reach glioblastoma cells, as well as new types of chemotherapy that kill glioblastoma cells without harming other brain cells.