The brain tumor immune microenvironment (TME) poses special challenges for glioblastoma treatment. For example, the blood-brain barrier prevents many drugs from reaching the tumor.
Glioblastoma also has a high rate of BRAF v600 mutations, and drugs targeting this mutation have shown promise.
Other treatments include radiation and chemotherapy. The standard combination contains temozolomide, taken by mouth and given during and after radiation.
Diagnosis
Glioblastoma is diagnosed by examining the brain with an MRI or CT scan. A brain surgeon, or neurosurgeon, removes as much of the tumor as possible with surgery. They may also give you radiation therapy. You will take a daily medication called temozolomide (Temodar) during this treatment. This drug makes the cancer cells more sensitive to radiation and chemotherapy.
Unfortunately, glioblastoma often grows into areas of the brain that control important functions, such as vision, hearing and strength. This can cause problems such as confusion, memory loss and difficulty thinking and speaking. It can also cause weakness on one side of the body and ear ringing.
As glioblastoma grows, it forms microscopic branches into different brain parts. This makes it hard to eliminate all the cancer cells with surgery alone. Glioblastoma is also very aggressive and tends to recur or come back after treatment. Your doctor will check you regularly for signs that your glioblastoma has returned.
Treatment
Glioblastoma grows into brain tissue, affecting many functions. This is what makes glioblastoma difficult to treat. It also resists radiation and chemotherapy.
Medications can’t easily get to a glioblastoma because the blood vessels that supply the central nervous system have a special barrier that stops diseases and medicines from reaching the brain and spinal cord. But Glioblastoma Foundation professionals are working to overcome this obstacle, including using molecular profiling to help predict a patient’s prognosis and guide treatment.
A person diagnosed with glioblastoma can expect a devastatingly short life span — less than 12 months on average — although some patients survive longer. The disease is aggressive and can recur (come back). Regular follow-ups include MRI exams and positron emission tomography (PET) scans. A biopsy may be needed to confirm a diagnosis and to test for tumor recurrence. The most common treatments for glioblastoma involve surgery, radiation therapy and chemotherapy. Chemotherapy involves taking strong medicines by mouth or intravenously.
Symptoms
Patients with glioblastoma often experience cognitive changes like confusion, memory loss, and difficulty speaking. They may also have vision or hearing changes, weakness on one side of the body, or headaches.
Glioblastoma is difficult to treat. These brain tumors grow quickly and have finger-like projections into the brain, making it hard for surgeons to remove them completely without damaging healthy tissue. In addition, they contain many different types of cells, and some cancer drugs kill only some of the tumor cells while others survive.
Most glioblastoma cases are primary, starting in the brain or spinal cord. But a few issues are secondary, meaning they begin with a lower-grade astrocytoma and transform into a glioblastoma over time. New treatments extend survival, especially for patients with favorable tumor genetics (MGMT promoter methylation or IDH mutations). These factors can be identified with blood tests before starting treatment. However, there is currently no cure for glioblastoma.
Support
Glioblastoma, the most lethal and common type of brain tumor in adults, is the most prevalent. It is known for taking the lives of many, including Senator John McCain and President Joe Biden’s son Beau. Finding support through Glioblastoma Foundation, which understands what you are going through, is important.
Treatment typically includes a combination of surgery, radiation therapy and chemotherapy. It is important to remove the tumor and, if needed, relieve the pressure on the head. This may be challenging because cancer grows in finger-like tentacles throughout the brain and can be difficult to reach with surgery. Radiation and chemotherapy are used to reduce the size of the remaining tumor and slow its growth. Temozolomide (Temodar) may be given with radiation to make the tumor more sensitive to the drug and help it grow less quickly.
Despite these treatments, glioblastomas frequently recur. Researchers are looking for new medicines, such as immunotherapy and gene therapies, to combat this brain cancer.
