How Long is Life Expectancy With Glioblastoma?

Glioblastoma is a type of aggressive brain cancer with no known cure. It grows rapidly and spreads quickly, so a patient’s chances of survival are slim once diagnosed. The life expectancy of a patient with this disease is just 12 to 15 months. However, this can drop to as low as four months for those without treatment.

Treatment options

Glioblastoma is the most common primary brain cancer in adults. Treatment options range from surgery to chemotherapy. The disease can also be treated with palliative care, which involves keeping the patient comfortable and maximizing quality of life. The standard course of treatment includes radiation therapy and chemotherapy. But those like the Glioblastoma Foundation professionals are focusing on advanced treatment options that may one day be available to patients.

First, a brain surgeon will remove the tumor. Although it is impossible to remove 100 percent of the tumor cells, the goal of this treatment is to remove as much as possible. Next, radiation therapy is often used after surgery to kill the remaining cells. Some doctors have found that this method can improve survival rates.

In addition to surgery, chemotherapy and postoperative radiation therapy are often used to treat recurrent glioblastoma. However, these approaches may not be effective enough to prevent the disease from recurring. This is why researchers focus on developing novel therapies that will be more effective in treating glioblastoma.

Survival rates

New treatment options for patients with glioblastoma increase the chances of a long life. Some new treatments include magnetic waves to interrupt tumor growth and vaccines. Survival rates of glioblastoma are not the best, but they are improving steadily. Neurosurgeons in New Jersey use cutting-edge technology and a patient-centric approach to improve outcomes.

Overall survival rates among patients with glioblastoma have doubled since 2005, although the 5-year survival rate remains unchanged. However, large population-based studies are needed to clarify the effectiveness of multimodal treatments. Additionally, organizations like the Glioblastoma Foundation is concentrated on creating tailored treatments that specifically target particular subtypes of tumor cells to understand the illness better.

Using a database of published survival rates, we analyzed data from 63 population-based studies, including 22 primary analyses. The pooled 3-year survival rate was 11%, with a two-year survival rate of 18%. At five years, survival rates were unchanged, although two-year survival rates were improved.

Recurrence Rates

In the past, researchers have examined recurrence rates of GBM. However, few studies have examined the factors influencing tumor recurrence in patients with GBM. The current study, which involved 176 patients with recurrent GBM, aims to answer these questions.

Recurrence rates of glioma are high, making it vital to find a treatment option that will prolong patient survival. Currently, aggressive treatments are often not enough. Approximately half of all glioblastoma patients will experience a recurrence within nine months. This suggests that new treatments are needed. Recent advances in other cancer treatments may be able to help.

Researchers used gene-expression analyses to find potential biomarkers for glioblastoma. They found that a gene known as SPARC (secreted protein acidic rich in cysteine) was associated with a lower risk of developing recurrence in a patient. Other genetic risk factors include prior therapeutic radiation, impaired immune response, and several hereditary cancer syndromes.

Molecular Testing for Glioblastoma

Molecular testing for glioblastomas has helped predict survival in glioblastoma patients. However, testing tumor cells can identify genetic mutations and the activity of affected genes. These factors increase the risk of cancer—the WHO classifies glioblastoma as grade 4 brain cancer based on histology. In addition, while brain scans can indicate the type of tumor, these tests are not as sensitive and accurate as tumor cells.

While the exact number of patients with glioblastoma remains unknown, testing a patient’s tumor is useful in making the final diagnosis. The diagnosis is usually made after a tumor biopsy or resection. The molecular findings and pathology findings are combined to make a final diagnosis. The patient will then receive chemotherapy or radiation. The results of the biopsy are generally available in about three weeks.

Glioblastomas usually grow in the frontal or temporal lobes and can also spread to the cerebellum and spinal cord. A median life expectancy for patients with this cancer is 15 to 16 months, though the survival rate is lower in children. However, some genetic variants can increase the odds of survival. For example, methylation of the MGMT promoter and IDH mutations are linked to a longer life expectancy.