- GBM are malignant tumors that commonly invade adjacent tissue and spread through the CNS. “Astrocytoma grade IV,” “glioblastoma multiforme,” “glioblastoma,” and “GBM” are different names for the same tumor.
- GBM most frequently arise in the white matter of the frontal lobes of the brain, but can occur anywhere in the cerebral hemispheres.
- GBM represents about 20% of all primary brain tumors and about 50% of the astrocytomas. They are most common in older adults.GBMs occur only very rarely in children; only about 9% of pediatric brain tumors are GBMs.
- GBM grow very quickly, so the first symptoms are usually caused by increased pressure in the brain. Headaches, seizures, memory loss, and changes in behavior are the most common presenting symptoms.
- GBMs are the most diverse in the type of cells that can be found in the tumor. This makes it one of the most difficult brain tumors to treat because while one cell type may be responsive to treatment and die off, other cell types may not respond to the therapy.
- If a GBM is in an accessible location, the first step in treatment is surgery. Unfortunately, since cells of the tumor invade other areas of the brain, surgery is usually not enough to fully treat a GBM. It is almost always recommended that surgery be followed up with radiation therapy.
- Chemotherapy could be given before, during, or after radiation. Chemotherapy might be used in children under the age of 3 to delay radiation, which can have severe effects on a child’s growing brain.
- Recurrent tumors can often be treated with additional surgery, chemotherapy, and/or radiation therapy.
Medical content was reviewed by Dr. Peter Black of Brigham and Women's Hospital, December 2003.
