Treatment and research of glioblastoma

By Alex Osiadacz

Considered the most aggressive type of brain cancer, glioblastoma grows rapidly, destroying healthy tissue. Globally, approximately 300,000 people are diagnosed each year with glioblastoma.

Glioblastoma is a type of cancer affecting glial cells, which connect nerve cells and support brain function.

Watch this "Mayo Clinic Minute" video to hear Alfredo Quinones-Hinojosa, M.D., a Mayo Clinic neurosurgeon, discuss glioblastoma:

"It tends to be a tumor that also tends to grow and invade the brain," says Dr. Quinones-Hinojosa. "Sometimes it can be slow and steady, but it tends to grow very fast."

Despite significant advances in surgery, chemotherapy, immunotherapy and radiation technology, the prognosis of glioblastoma remains poor.

“The median survival of patients with the best therapies tends to be between 12 and 14 months,” says Dr. Quinones-Hinojosa.

There is no known cure for glioblastoma, but treatments may help slow the progression or help stabilize the quality of life. Research is making strides, giving patients more options and hope.

“Research is crucial to find hope and healing on every corner of our operating room, in every corner of our laboratory, and to connect those two, ultimately, through our patients," says Dr. Quinones-Hinojosa.

Learn more

Learn more about glioblastoma and find a clinical trial at Mayo Clinic.

Join the Brain Tumor Support Group on Mayo Clinic Connect, an online community moderated by Mayo Clinic for patients and caregivers.

Also, read these articles:

• Technology, clinical trials offer hope after glioma diagnosis
• Fighting glioblastoma — one of the deadliest forms of brain cancer
• Mapping cell behaviors in high-grade glioma to improve treatment

A version of this article was originally published on the Mayo Clinic News Network.