Glioblastoma of the brain of the 4th degree

Glyoblastoma is a brain tumor that develops most often compared to other types of malignant intracranial lesions and is the most threatening. Glyoblastoma of the brain is classified as high, 4 degrees of malignancy of the cancer. In most cases, this disease is diagnosed in old age, but the disease can affect young people. We will consider, whether glioblastoma of a brain of 4 degrees, and how many live patients with such terrible diagnosis is curable.

Is glioblastoma of the brain treated at grade 4?

This type of brain cancer is practically not treatable, all methods available today allow only temporary improvement of the patient's condition. Usually, a combined method of treatment is used.

First of all, surgical removal of the maximum possible part of the tumor is performed. Completely remove the neoplasm is not feasible because it grows very quickly in surrounding tissues, has no clear outlines and a homogeneous structure. For a more accurate tumor resection, a special method is used in which cancer cells are detected under a microscope under fluorescent light with 5-aminolevulinic acid.

After this, a course of intensive radiotherapy is combined with medications showing antitumor activity (Temodal, Avastin, etc.). Chemotherapy is also performed several courses with interruptions, before which the study is assigned by means of computer or magnetic resonance imaging.

In some cases (for example, at a depth of more than 30 mm, spreading to both hemispheres of the brain), glioblastomas are considered inoperable. Then surgical intervention is very risky, because the probability of damage to healthy brain cells in vital areas is great.

Prognosis for glioblastoma of the brain 4 degrees

Despite the use of all the described methods, the effectiveness of treatment of glioblastoma is very low. On average, the life span after diagnosis and treatment does not exceed 1-2 years. In the absence of treatment, a lethal outcome occurs within 2-3 months.

However, each case is individual. Much is determined by the localization of the tumor, as well as the susceptibility of tumor cells to chemotherapy. In addition, leading scientific institutes constantly carry out the development and testing of new, more effective drugs.