Glioblastoma cancer grows from cells that line and support nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord. These cells, called glial cells, protect the brain from diseases in the blood and supply nutrients to neurons. In glioblastoma, changes in the DNA of these cells cause them to grow and divide faster than normal. The extra cells build up to form a tumor, which can press on nerves and parts of the brain. Glioblastoma is the most common and aggressive type of brain tumor. It has a poor prognosis, but researchers are working to improve treatment.
A neurologist, or a doctor who specializes in treating nervous system disorders, will give you a physical exam and order imaging tests to find the location and size of the tumor. A computed tomography (CT) scan, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), and other tests can help detect a glioblastoma. The MRI can also help identify areas where the tumor may spread.
Often, people with a glioblastoma will have other symptoms as well, such as headaches or difficulty thinking or moving. These signs and symptoms can get worse over time, so it’s important to see a health care provider if you have them.
There’s no cure for glioblastoma, but doctors can treat the symptoms to ease pain and discomfort. These treatments include surgery, radiation therapy, chemotherapy, and other drugs. They may also recommend palliative care, which focuses on relieving pain and distressing symptoms.
Because glioblastomas grow quickly, they’re hard to remove completely. A brain surgeon, or neurosurgeon, works to remove as much of the tumor as possible. However, glioblastoma extends into healthy brain tissue, and it’s impossible to remove all the cancer cells. Other treatments, such as chemotherapy and radiation therapy, are used after surgery to kill any remaining cancer cells.
Until recently, scientists didn’t understand what caused glioblastoma. But they did know that the DNA in glioblastoma cells had abnormal changes, or mutations. These mutations make the cell more likely to grow and spread. The mutations also make the cell resistant to certain treatments.
Now researchers are finding out more about what makes a cell develop mutations, how the mutations affect the cells’ ability to grow and spread, and why some patients’ tumors are more aggressive than others. For example, they’ve discovered that a certain genetic change — deletion of the gene CDKN2A — occurs in about 60% of people with glioblastoma. The discovery could lead to new treatments that target this specific defect.
Several kinds of cancer treatments can help control glioblastoma, including surgery, radiation, chemotherapy, targeted therapies, and Tumor Treating Fields. This device, made by Optune, uses electrical fields to treat the tumor without harming nearby cells. Other experimental treatments are under study, too. One involves delivering chemotherapy directly into the tumor with nanoparticles. Another combines surgery and radiation with a drug that increases the effectiveness of these therapies. And a third strategy targets the cells that produce tumors by targeting the enzymes that break them down.
