Glioblastoma Multiforme Treatment

Glioblastoma multiforme is the most common and most aggressive of brain tumors. There is no cure for the illness, and although mortality rates remain high, research and studies are being done. Radiation therapy, chemotherapy, and surgery can prolong a patient's life.

Radiation Therapy

• Radiotherapy is a treatment that focuses doses of radiation in an attempt to reduce the size of a tumor or eliminate it. However, the tumor often resurges within a year and deteriorates brain tissue further.

Brachytherapy

• Brachytherapy is a rarely used method of injecting high doses of radiation into the affected area. However, up to 40 percent of patients require surgery to remove tissue damaged by the brachytherapy.

Chemotherapy

• Chemotherapy has been shown to increase life expectancy in about a quarter of Glioblastoma multiforme patients. The increases can be anywhere from a few months to up to a year.

Surgery

• Surgery is another method of removing the affected tissue through biopsy. Surgery cannot eliminate a tumor, but it does help in assessing the situation for the patient.

Drugs

• To improve the patient's quality of life, anti-convulsants and corticosteroids may be administered. Anti-convulsants are drugs that minimize epileptic seizures and corticosteroids help with the overall function of the body.