What is Glioblastoma?
Glioblastoma, also known as glioblastoma multiforme, is a type of aggressive brain tumor that originates in the brain or spinal cord. It is categorized as a grade IV astrocytoma, which means it develops from astrocytes, a type of supportive cell in the brain.
Glioblastomas are highly malignant and tend to grow and spread rapidly within the brain.
Side Effects of Glioblastoma
The symptoms and side effects of glioblastoma can vary depending on the location and size of the tumor. Common symptoms include persistent headaches, nausea, vomiting, seizures, cognitive impairment, personality or behavioral changes, and progressive neurological deficits such as weakness on one side of the body or difficulty with speech and vision.
How is Glioblastoma Diagnosed?
Diagnosing glioblastoma typically involves several steps:
- Medical History and Physical Examination: Your doctor will review your medical history and perform a thorough physical examination.
- Imaging Tests: Techniques such as magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and computed tomography (CT) scans are used to create detailed images of the brain, helping to locate and assess the tumor.
- Biopsy: A biopsy is often necessary to confirm the diagnosis. During this procedure, a small sample of tissue is removed from the tumor and examined under a microscope by a pathologist.
- Genetic Testing: Molecular testing of the tumor tissue may be conducted to identify specific genetic mutations that could help guide treatment decisions.
Potential Treatments for Glioblastoma
Treatment for glioblastoma usually involves a combination of surgery, radiation therapy, and chemotherapy:
- Surgery: The primary goal of surgery is to remove as much of the tumor as possible without causing damage to critical brain functions. Complete removal is often challenging due to the invasive nature of glioblastomas.
- Radiation Therapy: Following surgery, radiation therapy is typically administered to target any remaining cancer cells and help prevent the tumor from regrowing. This may involve external beam radiation or, in some cases, techniques like stereotactic radiosurgery.
- Chemotherapy: Chemotherapy drugs, such as temozolomide, are commonly used either alone or in combination with radiation therapy to further treat glioblastoma. These medications are aimed at killing cancer cells or inhibiting their growth.
- Targeted Therapy and Immunotherapy: Emerging treatments like targeted therapy, which focuses on specific molecular abnormalities within the tumor cells, and immunotherapy, which harnesses the body's immune system to fight cancer, are being actively researched and sometimes offered in clinical trials.
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