In modern times, many people have become victims of a terrible disease called "glioblastoma". What is this disease, what danger does it pose to human life and are there effective ways to treat it? 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, and the presence of necrotic areas in the brain. Distinctive features of the disease is 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 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 common glioblastoma of the braindiagnosed in males aged 40 to 60;
- Other associated tumors. So, for example, an astrocytoma can be the primary focus of the spread of altered cells.
- Tranio-brain injuries and genetic predisposition. These circumstances can be a starting point in the occurrence of glioblastoma.
Glioblastoma: symptoms
Clinical manifestations of the disease are directly dependent on the damage to specific brain structures and the location of the malignant tumor. One of the earliest manifestations of the disease are headaches, mainly in the frontal and temporal region. Pain sensations are of high intensity, constant in nature, tend to increase 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 due to the fact that in the brain tissues, due to a violation in the horizontal position of the outflow from the head, fluid accumulates. Symptoms of glioblastoma also include vomiting and nausea that are not associated with meals. Many patients with this disease note increased fatigue, drowsiness and general weakness. Impairment of hearing and visual function may result from damage to the auditory or optic nerve by swollen tissues and a tumor-like formation. In case of damage to the speech centerthere is a violation of speech function and the inability to transform one's own thoughts into coherent speech.
Mental disorders are manifested in the form of apathy, general weakness and lethargy. Patients with a diagnosis of grade 4 glioblastoma of the brain 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 be accompanied by paralysis of a particular part of the body, a disorder of sensitivity. Hallucinations are not excluded, which for the most part are not visual, but auditory and tactile. Glioblastoma, the symptoms of which are numerous, can provoke the development of epileptic seizures in 10% of patients.
Glioblastoma grades
Based on the presence of certain signs, glioblastoma is divided into 4 grades of malignancy. So, the 1st degree, in fact, represents the border between benign and malignant processes. The 2nd degree is characterized by one of the signs of malignancy, 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.
3rd degree is characterized by the presence of two signs of malignancy, but it is not characterized by the occurrence of necrotic processes. The growth of tumors is quite fast. Glioblastoma of the brain of the 4th degree is distinguished by the intensity of growth and is considered the mostdangerous, in most cases incompatible with life neoplasm.
Diagnosis of glioblastoma
Glioblastoma is diagnosed after using modern examination methods. Most often, magnetic resonance imaging and computed tomography are used for this purpose. Magnetic resonance spectroscopy will also help determine the presence of this disease. The most effective method for detecting tumor recurrence is considered to be positron emission tomography.
But at the same time, it should be noted that glioblastoma of the brain, not having a homogeneous structure, often takes on various forms. As a result, when conducting a single study, the probability of detecting a low level of malignancy that does not correspond to the entire tumor is high. The most reliable data can be obtained by stereotaxic biopsy followed by histological examination.
Treatment methods
After we found out what manifestations and diagnostic methods such an ailment as glioblastoma has, that it needs to be urgently treated, no one doubts for sure. The main task 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 development of the tumor, nearby he althy tissues are removed along with the affected areas. However, it is rather difficult to carry out such a manipulation in glioblastoma, since each millimeternervous tissue is very important for the functioning of the whole organism.
After surgical removal, the patient is given chemotherapy to prevent possible recurrence. As an additional method of treatment, radiation therapy can be used, the main task of which is to remove the tumor cells remaining after the operation. A new method of combating glioblastoma is photodynamic therapy. The procedure is based on the irradiation of malignant cells with a laser. 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, unfortunately, is unfavorable. 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:
- Recurrence occurs in 80% of cases after surgery.
- The rapid growth of a neoplasm in the closed space of the skull leads to compression of the brain structures, its edema, impaired respiratory and circulatory functions.
- The development of severe neurological defects, in which a person loses the basic ability to self-care and movement. When diagnosed with glioblastoma, the photo of patients causes great pity, as people exhausted by the disease literally become not like themselves.
In most cases, glioblastoma of the brainbrain is fatal. But a timely diagnosis and a timely operation significantly increase the chances of a full life.
Last months of life
Patients with a terrible diagnosis of "grade 4 glioblastoma" live out 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, there is no doubt that this is a serious disease. But, unfortunately, patients with such a diagnosis can only believe that soon the best minds in medicine will still develop an effective cure for cancer.
