Glioblastoma: symptoms, causes and treatment

What is glioblastoma

What is glioblastoma?

Glioblastoma, also known as glioblastoma multiforme (GBM), is a type of cancer that grows and develops in the central nervous system, namely the brain or spinal cord. This is a type of malignant cancer that develops aggressively and is a stage 4 brain tumor or cancer.

GBM is a type of astrocytoma brain tumor, which is a tumor formed from glial cells called astrocytes. These cells function to support the health of nerve cells in your brain.

When astrocyte cells develop abnormally, astrocytoma tumors will form. These tumors can grow immediately as stage 4 brain cancer (glioblastoma), but can also develop from low grade astrocytoma (stage 2 or 3). In glioblastoma tumors, the development tends to be aggressive and can quickly spread to nearby brain tissue.

GBM tumors or cancer most often occur in the forebrain (frontal lobe) or side (temporal lobe). However, these tumors can also be found in any area of ​​the brain, including the spinal cord, and spread from one hemisphere to the other via the corpus callosum. However, GBM rarely metastasizes or spreads to other parts of the body.

How common is this condition?

Glioblastoma is the most common type of brain tumor in adults. However, this disease can occur in anyone and any age.

Reporting from the American Association of Neurological Surgeons, GBM occurs in two to three out of 100,000 adults per year. As for the total cases of primary brain tumors, 52% were glioblastoma. Meanwhile, compared to all cases of brain tumors, both primary and metastatic, GBM occurs in about 17% of sufferers.

Signs and symptoms of glioblastoma

Symptoms of cancer may vary from person to person, including the symptoms of glioblastoma brain cancer. The signs that appear depend on where the tumor is growing. If a tumor grows in a part of the brain that controls arm movement, your arm may feel weak. However, if you grow up in an area that controls speech, you may have difficulty speaking or forming words.

As the tumor continues to grow, the pressure on the brain will get stronger. In this condition, more severe symptoms are common, which generally develop slowly and get worse over time.

Here are some of the common symptoms of glioblastoma brain cancer:

• Continuous headaches
• Blurred or double vision.
• Nausea and vomiting.
• Loss of appetite.
• Mood and personality changes.
• Changes in thinking and learning abilities.
• Gradual difficulty speaking.
• Loss of balance or difficulty walking.
• Feel weak in certain body parts
• Problems with memory or recollection.
• Seizures.

There may be other symptoms that have not been mentioned. If you feel the signs above, especially if they occur continuously and are getting worse, or are worried about certain symptoms, you should immediately consult a doctor. You can also do a symptom check here if you are worried about certain changes in your body.

Causes & risk factors for glioblastoma

What causes glioblastoma brain cancer?

GBM occurs when healthy astrocyte cells develop abnormally and turn into tumors or cancer. However, the causes of these cell changes are not fully understood. Experts suspect that mutations or genetic disorders play a role in the growth of these cancer cells.

Reporting from the Moffitt Cancer Center, mutations or genetic disorders can cause cells to escape from their normal growth and death cycle. Astrocyte cells that are supposed to die and regenerate at one time, actually continue to live, multiply, and eventually accumulate into tumors.

In fact, glioblastoma cells are said to be able to produce their own blood vessels to support their rapid growth.

What increases the risk of developing this type of cancer?

Although the cause is not known, there are several factors that can increase a person's risk of developing this disease. Here are some risk factors that may cause glioblastoma multiforme brain cancer:

• Are over 45 years of age.
• Male gender.
• Chemical exposure.
• Radiation exposure to the head, such as radiotherapy to treat other cancers, especially those near the brain.
• Family history of glioma, or having rare genetic conditions, such as Li Fraumeni syndrome, neurofibromatosis type 1, and Turcot syndrome.

Diagnosis & treatment of glioblastoma

How do doctors diagnose glioblastoma multiforme cancer?

To diagnose GBM cancer, the doctor will ask about the symptoms that arise and your family medical history. Then the doctor will perform a neurological examination by examining your vision, hearing, balance, coordination, tactile sensations, as well as your body's strength and reflexes.

In addition, the doctor will also ask you to do some tests to determine whether you have a brain tumor or other nervous system disorder.

Source: Dreams Time

The following are some of the supporting tests that are usually used to diagnose glioblastoma brain cancer:

• Imaging tests to find the location and size of a glioblastoma multiforme tumor, such as an MRI, CT scan, or PET scan.
• Taking a tissue sample through a biopsy to determine the type of tumor and the stage of brain cancer.
• Blood tests or other screening procedures to help determine how well certain organs are working and get a picture of your overall health.

How to treat glioblastoma cancer?

Glioblastoma multiforme is a type of cancer that is very difficult to treat, and it is often incurable. However, treatment still needs to be done to slow the progression of cancer, reduce symptoms, and extend the life expectancy of sufferers.

The cancer treatment given can vary, depending on the location and size of the tumor as well as the patient's age, preferences, and overall health condition. The following are some of the procedures commonly used to treat glioblastoma brain cancer:

• Surgical removal of as many tumors as possible.
• Radiotherapy which is usually done after surgery or for patients who cannot undergo surgery.
• Chemotherapy to kill glioblastoma cells, which is done simultaneously with surgery or after surgery which may be accompanied by radiotherapy. This procedure is also performed when cancer cells come back after undergoing treatment.
• Target therapy.
• Certain medications to relieve symptoms, such as steroids to reduce brain swelling or medications to stop seizures.

Some people may prefer to only get cancer palliative care. That is, treatment does not focus on treating cancer, but only on making the sufferer comfortable and improving the quality of life.