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A deadly race against time: How low is the survival rate for glioblastoma?
Glioblastoma, formerly known as glioblastoma multiforme (GBM), is the most aggressive and common brain cancer with a very poor prognosis for survival. The initial signs and symptoms of this cancer are often very vague, and patients may experience headaches, personality changes, nausea, and even stroke-like symptoms. These symptoms can rapidly worsen over time and may even lead to coma.
Glioblastoma accounts for 15% of all brain tumors, and diagnosis mostly relies on computed tomography (CT), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and tissue biopsy.
The cause of glioblastoma remains unknown, although some rare risk factors, such as genetic disorders and radiation therapy, may increase the chance of developing the disease. Approximately 3 people per 100,000 are diagnosed with glioblastoma each year, with an average age of 64 and a higher incidence rate in men than in women. The survival rate for this disease is extremely poor, with a typical survival time of approximately 10 to 13 months, and less than 5% of people survive more than five years.
Symptoms of Glioblastoma
Common symptoms include seizures, persistent headaches, nausea and vomiting, memory loss, personality and mood changes, and other localized neurological problems. The symptoms a tumor causes depend on where it grows rather than on its pathological characteristics, so common symptoms may not appear until the tumor has grown to a considerable size.
Risk Factors for Glioblastoma
The cause of most glioblastomas is still unknown, and it is important to understand the known risk factors. The best-known risk factor is exposure to ionizing radiation, particularly from CT scans, but in about 5% of patients the condition results from certain genetic syndromes.
Treatment of GlioblastomaStudies of environmental factors suggest that smoking, exposure to pesticides and working in industries such as oil refining or rubber manufacturing may also increase risk.
The strategy for treating glioblastoma is quite complex and mainly includes surgery, radiotherapy and chemotherapy. However, even with maximal treatment, cancer almost always returns. Surgery to remove the tumor can significantly help prolong survival, but usually only by a few months.
Even if the tumor is completely removed, most glioblastoma patients will face recurrence of the cancer.
Surgery and follow-up treatment
Surgery is the first step in treating glioblastoma. Studies have shown that patients whose tumor removal rate reaches more than 98% will have a significantly increased healthy survival period. Next, patients usually receive radiation therapy and chemotherapy to suppress or delay the recurrence of the tumor.
Radiotherapy and chemotherapy
Radiotherapy is the main treatment after surgery, usually used in combination with the anti-tumor drug "temozolomide". The results showed that the average survival of patients who received radiotherapy and chemotherapy could be extended to 14 months, and the effect was more significant for patients whose tumors had certain genetic mutations.
Survival rate and future prospects
According to current data, the median survival time of glioblastoma patients is 8 months, while standard radiotherapy and chemotherapy can increase the median survival time to about 14 months. Even so, the five-year survival rate is only 5% to 10%. These data can't help but make people think: Can current medical technology bring hope to glioblastoma patients?
In current treatment research for glioblastoma, despite the latest therapies such as immunotherapy, the results are still not as good as expected. There are still many challenges in the future treatment of this deadly tumor. What are the chances that the patient's survival length can be extended once the patient's condition has progressed to a malignant state when discovered?
