Glioblastoma Multiforme Glioblastoma Multiforme, or GBM, is the most aggressive and most common primary brain tumor, but it isn’t quite that simple. GBM has quite a complex background and can start in many different ways, so that’s why I feel I should start from the very beginning of GBM so that you can fully understand what it is all about. Let me start by saying that GBM is the highest grade of glioma brain tumors, so it only makes sense for me to tell where GBM and glioma tumors come from. A glioma is a type of brain tumor that grows from glial cells, cells that support nerve cells with energy and nutrients and help maintain the blood-brain barrier.
There are various types of glial cells, each with a different function. Astrocytes transport nutrients and hold neurons in place, oligodendrocytes provide insulation, myelin, to neurons, microglias digest dead neurons and pathogens, and ependymal cells line the ventricles and secrete cerebrospinal fluid. Glioma is an umbrella term used to describe the different types of glial tumors, astrocytoma, oligodendroglioma, and glioblastoma. Gliomas vary in their aggressiveness, or malignancy. Some are slow-growing and are likely curable, while others are fast-growing, invasive, difficult to treat, and are likely to recur. Glioblastomas are generally found in the cerebral hemispheres of the brain, but can be found anywhere in the brain or spinal cord because of it being so aggressive and rapid growing. Because glioblastomas can grow rapidly, the most common symptoms are usually caused by increased pressure in the brain. These symptoms can include headache, nausea, vomiting, and drowsiness. Depending on the location of the tumor, patients can develop a variety of other Arcuri 2 symptoms such as weakness on one side of the body, memory and/or speech difficulties, visual changes, personality change, and seizures. All of these symptoms will be an indicator on if you have this type of cancer. The process of steps to get to GBM are in this order; central nervous system, neuroepithelial (brain tumors, spinal tumors), Glioma tumors, Astrocytes, Astrocytoma, and then it goes through multiple grades before Astrocytoma reaches GBM. Once the glioma tumor turns into Astrocytoma cancer it goes through a grade scale of I-IV. Pilocytic Astrocytoma, also called Juvenile Pilocytic Astrocytoma, are grade I astrocytomas that typically stay in the area where they started and do not spread. They are considered the most benign, noncancerous, of all the astrocytomas. Two other, less well known grade I astrocytomas are cerebellar astrocytoma and desmoplastic infantile astrocytoma. Diffuse Astrocytoma, also called Low-Grade or Astrocytoma Grade II, can come in these different types: Fibrillary, Gemistocytic, Protoplasmic Astrocytoma. These grade II astrocytomas tend to invade surrounding tissue and grow at a relatively slow pace. Anaplastic Astrocytoma is a grade III tumor. These rare tumors require more aggressive treatment than benign pilocytic astrocytoma. Astrocytoma Grade IV, also called Glioblastoma, was previously named “Glioblastoma Multiforme,” “Grade IV Glioblastoma,” and “GBM”. There are two types of astrocytoma grade IV, primary, or de novo, and secondary. Primary tumors are very aggressive and the most common form of astrocytoma grade IV. The secondary tumors are those which originate as a lower-grade tumor and evolve into a grade IV tumor. Since GBM is the highest grade of Astrocytoma cancer it doesn’t have any factors that cause it to spread because it has already gotten to the worst of its spreading, so if it spreads more it is just Arcuri 3 because it is becoming a worse case of GBM. GBM also doesn’t have a known cause, like most brain cancers. GBM is a rare …show more content…
Secondary GBM isn’t as common over Primary GBM. Anything that says how scientists treated GBM specifically in the past isn’t something that I could find easily, but what I could find was when it was a new type of cancer that no one knew how to treat it was treated with the same protocol of any other new type of cancer. It was analyzed by experimental tests and surgeries until it was better understood on how to treat it. Now, scientists treat GBM depending on how bad it is, but it will include radiation, chemotherapy, and surgery. Glioblastoma can be difficult to treat because the tumors contain so many different types of
There are various types of glial cells, each with a different function. Astrocytes transport nutrients and hold neurons in place, oligodendrocytes provide insulation, myelin, to neurons, microglias digest dead neurons and pathogens, and ependymal cells line the ventricles and secrete cerebrospinal fluid. Glioma is an umbrella term used to describe the different types of glial tumors, astrocytoma, oligodendroglioma, and glioblastoma. Gliomas vary in their aggressiveness, or malignancy. Some are slow-growing and are likely curable, while others are fast-growing, invasive, difficult to treat, and are likely to recur. Glioblastomas are generally found in the cerebral hemispheres of the brain, but can be found anywhere in the brain or spinal cord because of it being so aggressive and rapid growing. Because glioblastomas can grow rapidly, the most common symptoms are usually caused by increased pressure in the brain. These symptoms can include headache, nausea, vomiting, and drowsiness. Depending on the location of the tumor, patients can develop a variety of other Arcuri 2 symptoms such as weakness on one side of the body, memory and/or speech difficulties, visual changes, personality change, and seizures. All of these symptoms will be an indicator on if you have this type of cancer. The process of steps to get to GBM are in this order; central nervous system, neuroepithelial (brain tumors, spinal tumors), Glioma tumors, Astrocytes, Astrocytoma, and then it goes through multiple grades before Astrocytoma reaches GBM. Once the glioma tumor turns into Astrocytoma cancer it goes through a grade scale of I-IV. Pilocytic Astrocytoma, also called Juvenile Pilocytic Astrocytoma, are grade I astrocytomas that typically stay in the area where they started and do not spread. They are considered the most benign, noncancerous, of all the astrocytomas. Two other, less well known grade I astrocytomas are cerebellar astrocytoma and desmoplastic infantile astrocytoma. Diffuse Astrocytoma, also called Low-Grade or Astrocytoma Grade II, can come in these different types: Fibrillary, Gemistocytic, Protoplasmic Astrocytoma. These grade II astrocytomas tend to invade surrounding tissue and grow at a relatively slow pace. Anaplastic Astrocytoma is a grade III tumor. These rare tumors require more aggressive treatment than benign pilocytic astrocytoma. Astrocytoma Grade IV, also called Glioblastoma, was previously named “Glioblastoma Multiforme,” “Grade IV Glioblastoma,” and “GBM”. There are two types of astrocytoma grade IV, primary, or de novo, and secondary. Primary tumors are very aggressive and the most common form of astrocytoma grade IV. The secondary tumors are those which originate as a lower-grade tumor and evolve into a grade IV tumor. Since GBM is the highest grade of Astrocytoma cancer it doesn’t have any factors that cause it to spread because it has already gotten to the worst of its spreading, so if it spreads more it is just Arcuri 3 because it is becoming a worse case of GBM. GBM also doesn’t have a known cause, like most brain cancers. GBM is a rare …show more content…
Secondary GBM isn’t as common over Primary GBM. Anything that says how scientists treated GBM specifically in the past isn’t something that I could find easily, but what I could find was when it was a new type of cancer that no one knew how to treat it was treated with the same protocol of any other new type of cancer. It was analyzed by experimental tests and surgeries until it was better understood on how to treat it. Now, scientists treat GBM depending on how bad it is, but it will include radiation, chemotherapy, and surgery. Glioblastoma can be difficult to treat because the tumors contain so many different types of