Glioblastoma

Glioblastoma - treatment in Kyiv

Glioblastoma is a malignant brain tumor that arises from the glial tissue of the brain. Glioblastoma is characterized by an aggressive nature (rapid tumor growth, invasive growth) and a tendency to relapse. The average life expectancy from the moment of diagnosis is 12-18 months.

Currently, Ukraine does not have national statistical data on the prevalence of glioblastoma, but global statistics estimate the incidence of glioblastoma at 6 cases per 100,000 people. Glioblastoma is 1.6 times more common in men. There are two age periods when glioblastoma incidence is highest: under 14 years of age and 40-60 years. The vast majority of cases of glioblastoma are sporadic, and a carefully collected family history does not reveal relatives with a similar disease. But there are certain hereditary syndromes that increase the risk of glioblastoma: neurofibromatosis type I, tuberous sclerosis, Turco syndrome, Lynch syndrome, and Li-Fraumeni syndrome.

Among primary brain tumors, glioblastoma is the most common and accounts for 52%.

Symptoms of glioblastoma

At the beginning of the development of the disease, glioblastoma causes nonspecific symptoms, such as headache, fatigue. According to the increase in the size of the glioblastoma, neurological symptoms appear: epileptic seizures are detected for the first time, focal neurological symptoms (disorders of sensations, vision, hearing, paresis), as well as neurocognitive disorders associated with an increase in intracranial pressure.

Types of glioblastoma

Today, advances in the study of the molecular and genetic profile have slightly changed the classification of glioblastoma according to the absence/presence of mutations, the presence of chromosomal abnormalities, but generally three forms of glioblastoma are distinguished clinically:

• Multiform. Two other forms of glioblastoma predominate in frequency of detection. It is characterized by abundant blood supply, rapid growth, germination in brain tissue, and rapid progression. If you seek specialized help late, death can occur within several months.
• Giant cell It got its name because of a feature — the formation of large multinucleated cells. For giant cell glioblastoma, a typical complication is brain hemorrhage.
• Gliosarcoma. The most rare type of glioblastoma, however, has a peculiarity — it metastasizes outside the brain (metastasis is observed in 30% of cases).

Treatment of glioblastoma

All types of antitumor treatment are used in patients with glioblastomas: surgery, radiation, chemotherapy. Given the presence of compression-dislocation syndrome caused by glioblastoma, operative neurosurgical treatment always comes first. Better survival rates are observed in patients under the age of 50, with better somatic health indicators and the possibility of radical removal of glioblastoma.

Despite the menace of the disease, the combination of all types of treatment, which is available in the universal clinic "Oberig", makes it possible not to surrender to the disease. The Neurosurgery Center has accumulated considerable experience in successful neurosurgical removal of glioblastoma of any localization using modern microsurgical and endoscopic techniques and the subsequent transition to the stage of radiation and chemotherapy treatment.