Senator John McCain was diagnosed with glioblastoma in July 2017
Glioblastoma is considered to be the most aggressive tumor that can form in the brain. Senator John McCain was diagnosed with it in July 2017.
According to data, patients have a 10% chance of surviving five years after diagnosis. The average life expectancy is between 14 and 16 months.
Three adults out of every 100,000 will be affected by glioblastoma, according to the American Association of Neurological Surgeons (AANS).
It is most common in men aged 50 to 60 years and has no link between the development of glioblastoma and a previous history of other cancers.
WHAT IS THE TUMOR FROM?
The tumor consists of a mass of rapidly growing cells in the brain, and in most cases patients have no family history of the disease.
It will not spread to other organs, but once diagnosed, it is almost impossible to target, surgeons say.
Unlike other types of brain cancer, which are more specific, glioblastoma can occur in any part of the brain.
WHAT TREATMENT IS AVAILABLE?
Because the tumor may have already spread deep into the brain at the time of diagnosis, the cancerous tissue is incredibly difficult to remove.
The surgeon will always remove the tumor or part of the tumor only if it will not cause any damage to the surrounding brain tissue.
Dr Babkar Cisse, a neurosurgeon at the Weill Cornell Center for Brain and Spine, told the Daily Mail Online in July 2017: “By the time glioblastoma is diagnosed, microfiber can spread to the rest of the brain, which MRI would not notice.
“So even if the underlying tumor is removed and the patient receives radiation and chemotherapy, he will return.”
EVALUATION OF GLIOBLASTOMA
Brain tumors are rated from one to four, depending on how fast they grow and how aggressive they are.
Malignant tumors are given a high grade of three or four, while benign tumors are given a lower grade of one or two.
Glioblastoma is often called fourth-degree astrocytoma, another form of brain tumor, according to AANS.
SYMPTOMS
Patients usually complain of symptoms such as blurred vision, memory problems, dizziness and headaches.
The symptoms are somewhat non-specific and vary from person to person and may not persist.
Therefore, the disease is impossible to diagnose based on symptoms alone.