In modern times, many people have become victims of a terrible disease called "glioblastoma." What kind of ailment is it, what danger does it pose for human life, and are there effective ways to treat it? Let's consider everything in order.
Glioblastoma - what is it?
This disease is a serious malignant brain tumor that develops from glial cells. The characteristic features of the disease are the chaotic arrangement of cells that have undergone a malignant process, widespread edema, changes in the configuration of blood vessels, as well as the presence of necrotic areas in the brain. Distinctive features of the disease are its rapid progression, in which the surrounding tissues are rapidly involved in the process, as a result of which the tumor has no clear boundaries.
Causes of the disease
The etiology of glioblastoma is currently not well understood, and therefore does not have a reliable evidence base. But despite this, it is customary to single out a number of factors that stimulate its occurrence.
- Age. Most often, glioblastoma of the brain is diagnosed in males, whose age varies from 40 to 60 years;
- Other concomitant tumors. So, for example, astrocytoma may be the primary focus of the distribution of cells undergoing change.
- Traumatic brain injuries and genetic predisposition. These circumstances can be the starting point in the occurrence of glioblastoma.
Glioblastoma: Symptoms
The clinical manifestations of the disease are directly dependent on the defeat of specific brain structures and the location of the malignant tumor. One of the very first manifestations of the disease is headaches, mainly in the frontal and temporal region. Pain sensations are of high intensity, permanent, have the property of intensifying with coughing, sneezing, physical exertion and do not subside after taking painkillers, vascular or antispasmodic drugs.
A distinctive feature
of headaches is a significant increase in their intensity in the morning. This is because in the brain tissue, due to a violation in the horizontal position of the outflow from the head, fluid accumulates. Symptoms of glioblastoma are also vomiting and nausea, not associated with meals. Many patients with this disease note increased fatigue, drowsiness, and general weakness. Hearing impairment and visual function may result from damage to the auditory or optic nerve by swollen tissues and tumor formation. In case of defeat of the speech center, a violation of the speech function and the inability to transform their own thoughts into coherent speech are noted.
Mental disorders are manifested in the form of apathy, general weakness and lethargy. Patients with a diagnosis of “cerebral glioblastoma of the 4th degree” often experience confusion, in which a person does not understand well where he is and what is happening to him, and also does not respond to events around him.
The disease can also be accompanied by paralysis of a particular part of the body, a sensitivity disorder. Hallucinations, which for the most part are not visual, but auditory and tactile, are not excluded. Glioblastoma, the symptoms of which are numerous, in 10% of patients is capable of provoking the development of epileptic seizures.
Glioblastoma Degrees
Based on the presence of certain signs, glioblastoma is divided into 4 degrees of malignancy. So, the 1st degree, in fact, represents the border between benign and malignant processes. 2nd degree is inherent in one of the signs of malignancy, the role of which, as a rule, is cellular atypia. Tumors of the first two degrees grow slowly, and therefore they are considered to be the least malignant neoplasms.
The 3rd degree is characterized by the presence of two signs of malignancy, but necrotic processes are not characteristic of it. Tumor growth is quite fast. Grade 4 glioblastoma is characterized by a growth rate and is considered the most dangerous, in most cases, neoplasm incompatible with life.
Diagnosis of glioblastoma
The diagnosis of glioblastoma is made after using modern examination methods. Most often, magnetic resonance imaging and computed tomography are used for this purpose. Also to determine the presence of this disease will help and magnetic resonance spectroscopy. The most effective method to detect recurrence of the tumor is considered to be positron emission tomography.
But at the same time it should be noted that glioblastoma of the brain, without having a homogeneous structure, often takes various forms. As a result, when conducting a single study, there is a high probability of detecting a low level of malignancy that does not correspond to the entire tumor. The most reliable data allows to obtain a stereotactic biopsy with subsequent histological examination.
Treatment methods
After we found out what manifestations and diagnostic methods such ailment as glioblastoma has, that it is urgently needed to be treated, no one will doubt it. The main objective of therapeutic measures is to remove the primary focus. A radical, but at the same time effective method of therapy is considered to be the removal of this formation surgically. Usually, in order to prevent further tumor development, nearby healthy tissues are removed along with the affected areas. However, it is rather difficult to carry out such manipulation with glioblastoma, since every millimeter of nerve tissue is very important for the work of the whole organism.
After surgical removal, the patient is given chemotherapy to prevent a possible relapse. As an additional treatment method, radiation therapy can be used, the main task of which is to remove the remaining tumor cells after the operation. A new method of combating glioblastoma is photodynamic therapy. The procedure is based on laser irradiation of malignant cells. This method is usually used to treat neoplasms located in vital areas of the brain.
Forecast and consequences
For patients diagnosed with glioblastoma, the prognosis is unfortunately poor. Even with intensive treatment , the life expectancy of patients, as a rule, is no more than 5 years. This is due to the following factors:
- In 80% of cases after surgery, relapses occur.
- The rapid growth of the neoplasm in the enclosed space of the skull leads to compression of the brain structures, its edema, impaired respiration and blood circulation.
- The development of severe neurological defects in which a person loses basic abilities for self-care and movement. With a diagnosis of glioblastoma, the photo of patients causes great pity, since people exhausted by the disease literally become different from themselves.
In most cases,
glioblastoma of the brain is fatal. But a timely diagnosis and timely operation significantly increase the chances of a full life.
The last months of life
Patients with a terrible diagnosis of "glioblastoma 4 degrees" live their lives in real pain. They are haunted by severe headaches , mental disorders, epileptic seizures, mental disorders, paralysis, occurring against a background of lack of strength and general weakness.
Having considered the features of such an ailment as glioblastoma, that this is a serious disease - there is no doubt. But, unfortunately, patients with such a diagnosis can only believe that soon the best minds of medicine will nevertheless develop an effective cure for cancer.