Glioblastoma is a very aggressive brain tumor. Most cases occur later in life (45 – 70 years of age), but it can afflict any person at any age. Approximately 3 in every 100,000 people per year will develop this cancer. Symptoms that often lead to a diagnosis include headaches, seizures, confusion, memory loss, muscle weakness, visual changes, language deficit, and cognitive changes.

Treatment of glioblastoma typically includes a combination of surgery, chemotherapy, radiation therapy, and alternating electric field therapy. Unfortunately, even with aggressive treatment, the average survival time is just over 1 year.

Other names: Glioblastoma multiforme

 

Pathophysiology and Epidemiology

In most cases, the exact underlying cause of glioblastoma is unknown. In rare cases, they can occur in people with certain genetic syndromes such as neurofibromatosis type 1, Turcot syndrome and Li Fraumeni syndrome. In these cases, affected people usually have other characteristic features of the condition that are all caused by mutations in a specific gene.

 

Signs and Symptoms

Signs and symptoms of glioblastoma vary depending on the size and location of the tumor but may include:

  • Headache
  • Nausea and vomiting
  • Drowsiness
  • Changes in personality
  • Weakness on one side of the body
  • Memory loss
  • Speech difficulty
  • Changes in vision
  • Seizures

 

Diagnosis

Glioblastoma is typically diagnosed based on a physical exam as well as CT and/or MRI scans. Surgical removal of the tumor or a small biopsy may confirm the diagnosis.

 

Management and Treatment

While the survival rate is sobering and there is currently no cure, there are numerous treatments in development for this rare cancer, including targeted therapies focused on pathways involved in regulation of growth (receptor tyrosine kinase [RTK], mitogen-activated protein kinase [MAPK] and phosphoinositide 3-kinase [PI3K] signaling pathways), cell cycle, DNA repair, and apoptosis (Retinoblastoma/E2F and p53 tumor suppressor pathways). 

FDA approved treatments for glioblastomas include:

  • Bevacizumab (Brand name: Avastin
  • Polifeprosan 20 with carmustine (Brand name: Gliadel)

 

Clinical Trials

For a full list of clinical trials relating to glioblastomas, go here.

 

Resources

National Brain Tumor Society 

American Brain Tumor Association

American Cancer Society 

CancerCare

 

To learn more about rare cancers, visit our Rare Cancers page