Glioblastoma

What is glioblastoma?

Glioblastoma is a type of malignant brain tumor. It starts in the cells in the brain and spinal cord. Glioblastoma tumors grow and multiply rapidly. The cancer can spread into nearby healthy tissue of the brain and spinal cord. It does not usually spread to other parts of the body.

Glioblastoma is the most common type of cancerous brain tumor. It starts in cells called glial cells, which play an important role in the function of our nerves.

Glioblastoma is an aggressive type of cancer for which there is no cure. An early diagnosis and treatment can help to prolong life.

What causes glioblastoma?

Doctors believe that glioblastoma brain tumors are caused by changes in your DNA. These changes or mutations in our gene’s DNA cause cells to multiply in an uncontrolled way. These changes usually happen randomly.

It is also thought that these genetic variations may be inherited from our parents, however this is rare.

What are the symptoms of glioblastoma?

Glioblastoma tumors grow quickly, putting pressure on the brain and causing a sudden onset of symptoms. Symptoms of glioblastoma may include:

• Blurred vision
• Balance problems
• Cognitive problems
• Headaches
• Loss of appetite
• Muscle weakness
• Nausea and vomiting
• Numbness or tingling sensations
• Personality or mood changes
• Seizures
• Speech problems

Who is at risk of developing glioblastoma?

Glioblastoma can affect anyone of any age, but it usually affects people aged between 45 and 70. Men have a slightly higher risk.

The following factors may increase your risk of developing glioblastoma:

• Certain genetic conditions which cause tumors to develop (such as Turcot syndrome or neurofibromatosis).
• Exposure to certain chemicals (such as petroleum, pesticides, petroleum, synthetic rubber and vinyl chloride.
• Having had radiation therapy previously on the head.

How is glioblastoma diagnosed?

A specialist doctor will discuss your symptoms in detail and then perform a neurological examination. The following tests may be performed if a brain tumor is suspected:

• CT or MRI scan: These will look for brain tumors.
• Biopsy: This will be performed to take a sample of the tumor to look for cancer cells.

Once diagnosed, brain tumors are graded to give an indication of how they are growing. Grade I tumors are the least aggressive and grom slowly, while grade IV tumors are the most aggressive and grow quickly. Glioblastomas are classified as grade IV, and can either be primary, meaning they developed from glial cells, or secondary, which are grade I tumors that have progressed to become glioblastoma.

How is glioblastoma treated?

Treatment for glioblastoma will focus on shrinking or removing (a craniotomy) the tumor, if possible. This will be followed by radiation, chemotherapy or a combination of both. This aims to reduce symptoms, improve quality of life and extend your life as much as possible. There is unfortunately no cure for glioblastoma.

Radiation therapy

Radiation therapy applies concentrated X-rays to cancerous cells to damage and destroy them. Advanced technologies, such as stereotactic radiotherapy and intensity-modulated radiation therapy offer high-precision radiation therapy which target tumors with minimal damage to surrounding healthy tissue.

Stereotactic radiosurgery

This is an advanced type of radiation therapy which uses very focused beams of energy to target the tumor. This limits the amount of damage to healthy brain tissue.

Chemotherapy

Medication is given which travels via the blood to kill cancerous cells. Chemotherapy may be given at the same time as, or after, radiation therapy.

Laser interstitial thermal therapy

Also called laser ablation, this minimally invasive procedure uses laser energy to destroy the tumor. It is often used to target tumors which are difficult to access with surgery.

Targeted therapy

Targeted therapy is drugs which target certain genetic mutations or proteins in cancer cells that are causing them to grow. Targeted therapy offers a more precise treatment approach and can reduce treatment side effects.

Immunotherapy

Immunotherapy uses the body’s immune system to kill cancer cells.

Palliative care

The aim of palliative care is to offer comfort, support and symptom relief to those with cancer.

Glioblastoma is an aggressive type of cancer. Treatments aim to ease the symptoms, improve quality of life and prolong life as much as possible.