Cures for Glioblastoma Multiforme

Glioblastoma multiforme is an aggressive form of advanced brain cancer. It most commonly appears after the age of 50, although it can arise at any age. Survival rates for this form of cancer are very low. While there is currently no cure for glioblastoma, doctors work to limit its effects through surgery, chemotherapy and radiation therapy. Additional experimental treatments for the condition are under development.

Surgery

• If you are preliminarily diagnosed with a brain tumor, you will first undergo a biopsy to determine the type and severity of the cancer. Glioblastoma multiforme is technically categorized as a grade 4 cancer, meaning that it is growing at a highly rapid pace. If you are diagnosed with glioblastoma, your doctors will begin treatment as soon as possible, using surgery to remove the primary tumor. The amount of the tumor your surgeons can reach depends largely on where the tumor is situated. However, even the most successful tumor removal will have its limitations, since glioblastoma cells will by their nature invade pockets of surrounding brain tissue. This characteristic makes total surgical elimination of glioblastoma all but impossible. For this reason, your surgery will be followed as quickly as possible with radiation and chemotherapy.

Radiation Treatment

• Radiation treatment will likely begin two to four weeks after your initial surgery. Typically, oncologists (cancer doctors) use external beam radiation therapy, a technique that focuses specific amounts of X-ray radiation at the site where the primary tumor was located. Although particular lengths of treatment may vary, you may receive radiation treatments as many as five days a week for a period of one month or longer. Over the course of treatment, you may experience side effects such as fatigue and hair loss at the radiation site. Longer-term side effects are also possible. Consult your doctors for a full explanation of what to expect.

Chemotherapy

• Depending on your doctors' judgment, you may begin chemotherapy as soon as radiation treatment ends. Alternatively, your doctors may wait a number of weeks or months to judge the effectiveness of radiation. In either case, the aim of chemotherapy (as with radiation) is to kill as many cancer cells as possible and to inhibit the growth of any additional cells. The specific medications used and the length of treatment will be determined by your doctors. Consult them regarding the side effects that may occur.

Recurrence

• Unfortunately, glioblastoma multiforme cells are partially resistant to the effects of both radiation and chemotherapy. Recurrence of the cancer is therefore quite common. If you experience a recurrence, your doctors will work to determine the particulars of your next course of treatment.

Experimental Treatments

• Researchers are continually searching for more effective ways to treat glioblastoma multiforme. Potential options for future treatment include implantation of radioactive seeds; more effective forms of chemotherapy; and a new form of surgery called stereotactic radiosurgery, which uses high doses of radiation to reach formerly inaccessible groups of cancer cells. Tell your doctors if you are interested in participating in controlled trials of any therapies now under development.