What is the best treatment for GBM?

What is the best treatment for GBM?

Chemotherapy with the drug temozolomide is the current standard of treatment for GBM. The drug is generally administered every day during radiation therapy and then for six cycles after radiation during the maintenance phase.

What are the treatment options for glioblastoma?

Glioblastoma treatment options include:

• Surgery to remove the glioblastoma. Your brain surgeon (neurosurgeon) will work to remove the glioblastoma.
• Radiation therapy.
• Chemotherapy.
• Tumor treating fields (TTF) therapy.
• Targeted drug therapy.
• Clinical trials.
• Supportive (palliative) care.

Can glioblastoma be treated without surgery?

The majority of high-grade gliomas (WHO grade 3 and 4) require radiotherapy following surgery. Although radiotherapy rarely cures glioblastoma, studies show that it doubles the median survival of patients, compared to supportive care alone.

Does glioblastoma can be cured?

Unfortunately, there isn’t a cure for GBM. Treatments focus on removing or shrinking the tumor to reduce symptoms. The first step is surgery to remove the tumor (craniotomy), followed by radiation and chemotherapy.

Why is glioblastoma inoperable?

For patients harboring inoperable GBM, due to the anatomical location of the tumor or poor general condition of the patient, the life expectancy is even worse. The challenge of managing GBM is therefore to improve the local control, especially for non-surgical patients.

What is end of life like with glioblastoma?

Among these, motor deficit, headache, dysphasia, cognitive impairment, seizures, and somnolence are the most frequent symptoms in the early EOL phase, appearing in 31.2–41.9% of patients three months before death [9].

Is glioblastoma curable if caught early?

However, in the vast majority of cases, gliomas are ultimately incurable. Most low-grade gliomas kill patients by becoming high-grade gliomas. Even low-grade gliomas are incurable because by the time they are diagnosed, the disease process has extended far beyond the limits of surgical resectability.

Can GBM go into remission?

In remission, symptoms may let up or disappear for a time. Glioblastomas often regrow. If that happens, doctors may be able to treat it with surgery and a different form of radiation and chemotherapy.

Can you live a full life with glioblastoma?

The average life expectancy for glioblastoma patients who undergo treatment is 12-15 months and only four months for those who do not receive treatment. Glioblastomas develop from glial cells in the brain and spinal cord.