What’s the treatment for GBM?
The standard of treatment for a GBM is surgery, followed by daily radiation and oral chemotherapy for six and a half weeks, then a six-month regimen of oral chemotherapy given five days a month.
To start, the neurosurgeon will remove as much of the tumor as possible and may implant medicated wafers right into the brain. Developed at Johns Hopkins, these wafers dissolve naturally and gradually release chemotherapy drugs into the tumor area over time.
Another chemotherapy drug called temozolomide was approved by the FDA in 2013 and is commonly used to treat GBMs and other advanced brain cancers. The drug is taken in pill form and works by slowing down tumor growth.
Radiation may be used to destroy additional tumor cells and treat tumors in patients who are not well enough for surgery.
What causes GBM? Does it run in families?
Despite all the advances in treatment, we still don’t understand what causes GBMs. Research suggests that some cases of GBM have a genetic component, and in those rare cases these tumors can run in families. Ongoing studies aim to identify specific genetic mutations and mechanisms of inheritance.
Source: Dr. Jon Weingart
