Glioblastoma is a type of brain cancer. It’s the most common type of malignant brain tumor among adults. And it is usually very aggressive, which means it can grow fast and spread quickly.
Where It Forms in the Brain
Glioblastoma is a type of astrocytoma, a cancer that forms from star-shaped cells in the brain called astrocytes. In adults, this cancer usually starts in the cerebrum, the largest part of your brain.
Glioblastoma tumors make their own blood supply, which helps them grow. It’s easy for them to invade normal brain tissue.
How Common Is It?
Brain cancers aren’t common. And when they do happen, about 4 out of 5 aren’t glioblastomas. Men are more likely to get them than women. And chances go up with age.
Diagnosis
A neurologist (a doctor who specializes in diagnosing and treating brain disorders) will give you a complete exam. You may get an MRI or CT scan and other tests, depending on your symptoms.
Treatment
The goal of glioblastoma treatment is to slow and control tumor growth and help you live as comfortably and as well as possible. There are four treatments, and many people get more than one type:
- Surgery is the first treatment. The surgeon tries to remove as much of the tumor as possible. In high-risk areas of the brain, it may not be possible to remove all of it.
- Radiation is used to kill as many leftover tumor cells as possible after surgery. It can also slow the growth of tumors that can’t be removed by surgery.
- Chemotherapy may also help. Electric field therapy uses electrical fields to target cells in the tumor while not hurting normal cells.
Reference:
https://www.webmd.com/cancer/brain-cancer/what-is-glioblastoma#1
