Understanding Glioblastoma - Advanced Brain Tumor Surgery in India

Ever heard of gliomas? These primary brain tumors arise within the brain, but we don't know the cell of origin.There are multiple grades of gliomas -- grade II, III and IV, with grade IV being the most malignant. 

Grade IV tumors are called glioblastoma. They are the most aggressive and are very infiltrative - they spread into other parts of the brain quickly. Glioblastomas don't metastasize outside of the brain.  Glioblastomas can occur in any lobe of the brain and even the brain stem and cerebellum, but more commonly occur in the frontal and temporal lobes. Below, I've answered some common questions I get about glioblastoma.

Are there any known causes or risks factors for glioblastoma?

 Glioblastoma are more common in males, persons older than 50, and people of Caucasian or Asian ethnicity.  There are a few very rare familial syndromes that are associated with brain tumors. One of the only known risk factors that we have for brain tumors is radiation exposure.

What are common symptoms of glioblastoma? 

 The symptoms for any brain tumor are related to the locations from where the brain tumor originates and the rate of tumor growth. Symptoms can vary widely. Some are silent and only found incidentally when a brain scan is done for another reason.  

The most common symptoms include headaches, nausea, vomiting and seizures. Tumors frequently cause subtle personality changes and memory loss or, again, depending on location, muscle weakness and disturbances in speech and language.  

 How is a glioblastoma diagnosed? 

 Most patients with glioblastoma undergo a CT scan, followed by MRI. The actual pathological diagnosis has to be made at the time of surgery (tissue is removed and examined by a neuropathologist). 

What are the treatment options for a glioblastoma? And why, typically, is it hard to treat? 

 The standard treatment for glioblastomas is maximal safe resection (surgery), followed by concurrent radiation and an oral chemotherapy called temolozomide over a 6-week period. Upon completion of radiation, 6-12 cycles of adjuvant temolozomide are given to the patient five days in a row every four weeks. 

Glioblastomas are not surgically curable, but there is good evidence that the more tumor that can be removed, the better the prognosis. The radiation and chemotherapy are designed to target the infiltrative component of the glioblastoma and delay tumor progression. 

What advice would you give someone who has just been diagnosed with a glioblastoma?

One of the most important things that you can do is to seek care or even a second opinion by people that spend all of their time treating this disease. Glioblastoma is a very complicated disease. There are a lot of nuances to both the diagnosis and the treatment, and you want an expert to help you work through the treatment process. 

Also look for a physician who will give you the undivided time and attention you deserve. Your doctor shouldn't be rushing through your visit. I talk to patients about their diagnosis, explain to them all the aspects of the treatment as well as the impact of the tumor on their quality of life. I also spend as much time answering questions as the patient requires. 

Most Advanced  & Latest: Brain Cancer Tumor Treatment in India
For Brain tumor treatments; our hospitals have the multidisciplinary team of Neurologists, Neuro-oncologists, surgical oncologists (Head & Neck unit), Medical oncologists, Radiation Oncologists, Onco-pathologists and neuropsychologists and other Specialists.

There are three main types of treatment approaches for brain tumor:

• Surgery
• Chemotherapy
• Radiotherapy (radiation therapy)

Multi – Disciplinary treatment approaches performed at our world class Hospitals Brain Cancer Tumor Treatment in India

• Brain Suite– latest advancement in image-guided surgery, providing real-time views of the tumor site with intraoperative magnetic resonance imaging (IMRI)
• Trans-Nasal Endoscopic – Advanced surgical treatment options for the management of brain tumors and lesion
• Stereotactic Radiosurgery- Advanced imaging technologies to destroy the tumor and achieve permanent local control.
• Tumor Embolization using Neuro Interventional Radiology.
• Endoscopic Minimally Invasive Neurosurgery.