Although the precise cause of glioblastoma hasn’t been clearly defined, researchers have identified a list of characteristics shared by many patients with this form of brain cancer. These characteristics are known as risk factors. While risk factors can be helpful in determining a person’s likelihood of developing glioblastoma, it’s important to remember that:
- Risk factors do not necessarily cause cancer to develop
- Many people who have one or more glioblastoma risk factors never develop cancer
- Some people develop glioblastoma without having any of the known risk factors
Glioblastoma risk factors you can change
So far, studies have not turned up concrete evidence that any lifestyle habits can affect a person’s risk for glioblastoma. Exposure to ionizing radiation therapy—especially to the head or neck—has been identified as a glioblastoma risk factor. Some studies have linked occupational exposure to certain chemicals to an increased risk for brain tumors, but other studies have found no such correlation.
Generally, medical professionals don’t consider glioblastoma to be preventable.
Glioblastoma risk factors you can’t change
Glioblastoma can develop in persons of any age, including children. But it tends to occur more often in adults between the ages of 65 and 74, and men have a slightly higher risk than women.
Most people diagnosed with glioblastoma have no family history of cancerous brain tumors. However, those who have immediate family members with brain tumors have a higher risk of developing the same kind of tumor. One recent study concluded that people whose immediate relatives developed glioblastoma had twice the risk of contracting the same kind of brain cancer compared to people whose immediate family members had never had glioblastoma.
Additionally, people who inherit certain rare genetic syndromes have an elevated risk for glioblastoma. These genetic conditions include:
- Turcot syndrome
- Neurofibromatosis type 1
- Li Fraumeni syndrome
- Lynch syndrome
SOURCE: Moffitt Cancer Center