Glioblastoma- Basics

Glioblastoma (also called "glioblastoma multiforme" or "GBM") is a fast growing type of brain cancer. Brain cancer happens when normal cells in the brain change into abnormal cells and grow out of control.

Brain cancers can be named after the type of cell they start from. GBM starts in the "glial" cells of the brain. Glial cells go between and around the brain's nerve cells.

As GBM grows, it can spread into healthy parts of the brain. It can also cause brain swelling. Both of these things can cause symptoms.

Getting radiation treatment earlier in life can raise a person's risk for GBM.

What are the symptoms of glioblastoma? — The most common symptoms include:

●Headaches
●Seizures
●Memory or thinking problems
●Muscle weakness
●Vision changes, such as double vision or vision loss
●Language problems, such as trouble finding the right word for something
●Personality changes
Other conditions can also cause these symptoms. But you should tell your doctor or nurse if any of these things happen.

Will I need tests? — Yes. The doctor will do an exam and order imaging tests, such as an MRI or a CT scan. Imaging tests create pictures of your brain. The pictures can show GBM or other abnormal growths. They can also show other kinds of changes that might be causing symptoms.

To tell if a person has GBM, doctors need to look at a sample of the tumor under the microscope. If the doctor thinks a brain tumor might be GBM, he or she usually does surgery to take out as much of the tumor as possible. Then, another doctor looks at a small sample of tumor tissue under a microscope. The sample can show if the tumor is GBM, a different type of brain tumor, or a sign of another brain condition.

Some people with GBM do not have surgery to remove the tumor. If the doctor does not do surgery, he or she might use a needle to take a small sample from the tumor. This can be done if:

●The GBM is in a part of the brain where surgery is too risky
●The GBM is too large for surgery to help
●The person is too sick for surgery
How is glioblastoma treated? — Treatment for GBM usually includes:

●Surgery – During surgery, doctors take out as much of the GBM as they can. This can help with symptoms and help people live longer. But surgery can hurt healthy areas of the brain. During surgery, doctors take out what they can without hurting healthy areas.
●Radiation therapy – Radiation kills some of the cancer cells. Most people with GBM have radiation therapy after surgery.
●Chemotherapy – "Chemotherapy" is the term doctors use for medicines that kill cancer cells. Most people with GBM have chemotherapy after surgery.
After surgery, doctors usually give radiation therapy and chemotherapy at the same time.

GBM can cause seizures and brain swelling. Doctors can give medicines or do surgery to treat these symptoms.

What happens after treatment? — After treatment, you will have regular checkups to see if the GBM comes back. This includes having imaging tests (usually MRIs) of the brain.

You should watch for the common symptoms of GBM, and any other symptoms you had before your doctor found the GBM. Having symptoms could mean the GBM has come back. Tell your doctor or nurse about any symptoms you have.

What if the glioblastoma comes back? — In most people, GBM comes back after treatment. If an imaging test shows changes in the brain after treatment, the changes could be caused by the GBM coming back, or they could be changes that happen in response to treatment. It can be hard to tell the difference between these changes. The doctor might do repeat imaging tests to see if the changes are cancer.

If GBM comes back or spreads, you might have more surgery, chemotherapy, radiation, or other treatments. Your doctor or nurse will talk with you about the best treatment for you.

Should I be in a clinical trial? — If you have GBM, you might want to be in a "clinical trial." A clinical trial is a research study that tests new medicines and treatments to see how well they work.

Being in a clinical trial might or might not change your symptoms or help you live longer. But it can give doctors more information about GBM and how to treat it. Information from the study can help them create new and better medicines and treatments.

There are clinical trials for GBM all over the world. To find out more about being in a clinical trial, talk with your doctor.

What else should I do? — You should follow your doctor's instructions about checkups and tests. Talk to your doctor about any problems during treatment.

If GBM comes back, tell your doctors and nurses how you feel about the different treatments. Any time your doctor talks with you about a new treatment, ask:

●What are the benefits of this treatment? Will it help me live longer? Will it reduce my symptoms or stop them?
●What bad things could happen if I have this treatment?
●Do I have other choices besides this treatment?
●What happens if I do not have this treatment? more