Unfortunately, there isn’t a cure for glioblastoma. Treatments focus on removing or shrinking the tumor to reduce symptoms.
The first step is surgery to remove the tumor (craniotomy), followed by radiation and chemotherapy. If surgery isn’t an option due to your health or the tumor location, radiation and chemotherapy can control the tumor.
Glioblastoma treatments include:
- Radiation therapy: Radiation therapy uses x-rays to damage cancer cells so they can’t grow. You may need as many as 30 daily radiation treatments over six weeks.
- Intensity modulated radiation therapy (IMRT): IMRT allows the delivery of radiation to the tumor while minimizing the radiation dose to the surrounding healthy brain tissue.
- Stereotactic radiosurgery: Gamma knife radiosurgery is a type of advanced radiation therapy. (Despite the name, it is not a surgical procedure). Highly focused X-ray beams precisely target the tumor, limiting damage to healthy tissue. Providers occasionally use this technique when GBM grows after receiving the initial IMRT.
- Chemotherapy: Chemotherapy medication circulates in your blood to kill cancer cells. You may receive chemotherapy at the same time as radiation therapy as well as after radiation therapy is completed.
- Targeted therapy: Instead of chemotherapy, you may receive targeted therapy. This treatment targets certain cell changes that fuel cancer growth.
- Tumor treatment fields (TTF): A wearable device sends low-intensity electric fields (TTFs) to the tumor through electrodes on the scalp. TTFs disrupt cancer cells, preventing them from multiplying and growing. Providers may consider this treatment after chemoradiation is completed.
SOURCE: Cleveland Clinic