Glioblastomas And You: What You Need To Know
Life is never what you expect it to be, and you certainly never thought you would hear a term as ominous and confounding as glioblastoma, let alone be told you have one growing inside of your head. Brain cancer is not a phrase you want to hear when your doctor gives you a diagnosis, but it doesn't have to be the end of the world. So, now that you have learned a new vocabulary word for the day (glioblastoma), learn a little more about your newfound tumor and what you can do about it.
What Exactly Is A Glioblastoma?
Glioblastoma is a term for a specific type of tumor that begins in the cells that make up the supportive tissue of your brain. These are actually a form of a glioma.
Gliomas are divided into four grades, and glioblastomas are considered to be the most malignant and aggressive type (grade IV). Usually with glioblastomas, the exact point of origin is not determinable, and are identified by the types of cells involved.
How Do You Really Know You Have A Glioblastoma?
Brain tumors usually grow undetected until they place undue pressure on the brain. The pressure on the brain is what causes symptoms.
Glioblastomas can cause severe headaches, vomiting, frequent or constant nausea, or even behavior and mood changes depending on what regions of the brain are affected. If you experience these symptoms, you may have a glioblastoma.
However, in order to determine with certainty that your symptoms are caused by a glioblastoma, your doctor will need to perform a series of diagnostic exams including an MRI and a CT scan to view and assess the tumor.
What Are Your Treatment Options?
Glioblastomas are a complicated malignancy to treat. As such, when you seek out treatment, you want to ensure that you choose an oncologist with a great deal of experience and expertise in dealing specifically with glioblastomas.
Treatment usually is quite aggressive to match the aggressive nature of the tumor itself. This can include chemotherapy and radiation treatments, and of course surgery. A neurosurgeon from a place like Texas Neurosurgery, LLP will be consulted upon the discovery of your glioblastoma to determine the surgical course of treatment available to you. Surgery is then performed to remove as much of the tumor as possible, and the chemotherapy and radiation are used to further reduce and destroy your glioblastoma.
In addition to the combination of these three aggressive treatments, there are a number of new treatments and medications in clinical trials and development that can be used to treat glioblastomas now and in the future, particularly if you have recurrent tumors.
When you are diagnosed with a brain tumor, you may be inclined to panic and lose all hope. However, by understanding your glioblastoma, the symptoms and diagnostic tests that indicate you have a one, and the treatment options available, you are well-equipped to handle what is to come and fight back against the tumor that is affecting your life and mind.
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