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Making progress in treating glioblastoma

Jul 26, 2021 | Jennifer O'Hara | @jenohara | Comments (3)

When it comes to malignant tumors in the brain and spinal cord, glioblastoma is the most common. Glioblastoma is an aggressive form of cancer that forms from cells called astrocytes in the brain or the spinal cord. Glioblastoma can occur at any age, but it's more common in older adults. It can cause worsening headaches, nausea, vomiting and seizures.

Glioblastoma can be difficult to treat. Current treatments include surgery, radiation and chemotherapy, but thanks to research and clinical trials, new therapies are being developed.

"We're coming together as a community to treat this," says Dr. Wendy Sherman, a Mayo Clinic neurologist. "We're getting more patients on trial and we're being smarter about our trials. It's an exciting time for our field, and I'm very hopeful that we're going to make progress on this."

A cure is often not possible, but disease management and treatment may slow progression of the cancer and decrease the side effects.

On the Mayo Clinic Q&A podcast, Dr. Sherman discusses glioblastoma diagnosis, treatment, and research.

To practice safe social distancing during the COVID-19 pandemic, this interview was conducted using video conferencing. The sound and video quality are representative of the technology used. For the safety of its patients, staff and visitors, Mayo Clinic has strict masking policies in place. Anyone shown without a mask was recorded prior to COVID-19 or recorded in an area not designated for patient care, where social distancing and other safety protocols were followed.

Read the full transcript.

For more information, go to the Mayo Clinic News Network and mayoclinic.org.

Connect with others talking about brain tumors and supporting one another in the Brain Tumor support group.

1 Reaction

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angielink | @angielink | Jul 27, 2021

Thank you for discussing GBM! My husband has GBM and we actually have had a second opinion virtual visit with you. We were very impressed with the information, the visual explanations and recommendations given. We are from out of state and are getting treatment per your recommendation locally.
Initially we were told there were no trials available but I will check your site to see if any are available now.
Thank you!

REPLY
wiseowlinga | @wiseowlinga | Jul 30, 2021

My 76 year old husband and I have been married for 3 years, a second marriage for us both. His sister, in 2002 and in her mid 50's, died from GBM. Their brother in his early 60's died from GBM in 2012. I found research done by Baylor University which indicates this is not as uncommon as researchers and doctors thought. One study indicated that it always passes to a younger relative. When their brother was diagnosed he was told that the odds of this happening are astronomically high. They are not!! People need to know this. The "excitement aspect" in my opinion needs to be reduced and stick with the facts. They had horrible deaths and that needs to be acknowledged. Hopefully, my husband the eldest, will never have to deal with this. It's been bad enough that I figured out he has High Functioning Autism and he was diagnosed at age 75. The medications he now takes means he has not had an autistic meltdown in over two months. (A doctor rarely knows the exact dosage and I believe his psychiatrist was right to be conservative.) His family is riddled with HFA, ADHD, ODD and mostly undiagnosed. I wonder if there is a connection between these diagnoses and GBM. Please keep the expressed excitement to a minimum out of respect for those who have succumbed to this horrible condition, and for those living with the memories. GBM is still an always fatal illness. (Name Withheld to protect my husband's and his family's privacy)

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1 reply
Moderator
Colleen Young, Connect Director | @colleenyoung | Aug 3, 2021
In reply to @wiseowlinga "My 76 year old husband and I have been married for 3 years, a second marriage..." + (show)
@wiseowlinga

My 76 year old husband and I have been married for 3 years, a second marriage for us both. His sister, in 2002 and in her mid 50's, died from GBM. Their brother in his early 60's died from GBM in 2012. I found research done by Baylor University which indicates this is not as uncommon as researchers and doctors thought. One study indicated that it always passes to a younger relative. When their brother was diagnosed he was told that the odds of this happening are astronomically high. They are not!! People need to know this. The "excitement aspect" in my opinion needs to be reduced and stick with the facts. They had horrible deaths and that needs to be acknowledged. Hopefully, my husband the eldest, will never have to deal with this. It's been bad enough that I figured out he has High Functioning Autism and he was diagnosed at age 75. The medications he now takes means he has not had an autistic meltdown in over two months. (A doctor rarely knows the exact dosage and I believe his psychiatrist was right to be conservative.) His family is riddled with HFA, ADHD, ODD and mostly undiagnosed. I wonder if there is a connection between these diagnoses and GBM. Please keep the expressed excitement to a minimum out of respect for those who have succumbed to this horrible condition, and for those living with the memories. GBM is still an always fatal illness. (Name Withheld to protect my husband's and his family's privacy)

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Hi WiseOwl, you offer wise counsel about keeping expressed excitement to a minimum out of respect for people who live with GBM and those who have since lost their life to this horrible disease. When making a discovery that has the potential to improve or even save lives, it can be hard to contain the excitement. I appreciate that feedback and will share it with the researchers with whom I work.

You and/or your husband may be interested in joining the group dedicated to adult autism here:
- Autism (ASD) https://connect.mayoclinic.org/group/autism/

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