According to the American Cancer Society, more than 22,000 cancerous tumors of the brain or spinal cord will be diagnosed in the U.S. in 2009. Nearly 13,000 people will lose their lives this year as a result of these malignancies. The National Cancer Institute says the most common and aggressive type of brain cancer in adults is glioblastoma multiforme. There is currently no treatment that can effectively cure this malignancy.
Causes of Brain Cancer
The causes of brain cancer remain a mystery. The NCI has launched a study on what may cause brain tumors in adults. Researchers are investigating a wide scope of genetic, lifestyle and environmental factors that may impact the possibility of developing brain malignancies.
The potential causes being considered are work-related exposures to pesticides, lead and solvents, the use of cellular phones, use of hair dyes and family history among others.
Gibolastoma Multiforme
A brain tumor develops due to the growth of abnormal cells in brain tissues. The NCI says at the present time giloblastoma multiforme is believed to be incurable. Most patients with this aggressive form of brain cancer live no longer than one year following diagnosis. According to the Mayo Clinic, the average age at which gliobastoma is made is 55. However, it can strike anyone, including children. Glioblastoma typically spreads quickly to other areas of the brain making it hard to treat.
Symptoms
According to the NCI, symptoms of a brain tumor depend on its size and on where in the brain the tumor is formed. They may include frequent nausea and vomiting, morning headaches or headaches that subside following vomiting. Other warning signs include loss of balance and problems with speech, vision and hearing. Symptoms of gliobastoma multiforme tend to begin abruptly and seizures are not uncommon.
Treating Gliobastoma Multiformes
Surgery is the main treatment for brain cancer assuming that undesirable neurological injury is unlikely.
However, in cases of gliobastoma multiformes, its progressive accumulation into tissues and cells makes it impossible to fully remove the malignancy. In cases of glibogastoma, chemotherapy is inserted into the brain during surgery.
While it's highly unlikely that radiation therapy will cure glioblastoma, the says studies show patients who undergo this treatment may live two times longer than those who receive only supportive care.
Temozolomide
The NCI says encouraging early results with the drug temozolomide prompted many U.S. physicians to following radiation treatments with temozolomide for patients who suffer from glioblastoma.
The NCI says a 2002 study conducted by the European Organization for the Treatment of Cancer and the of Canada discovered the median two-year survival of patients who took temozolomide as a compliment to radiotherapy went up 16 percent.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved temozolomide for treatment of glioblastoma in 2005.
Tags: brain cancer, brain tumor, Cancer Institute, longer than, Mayo Clinic, National Cancer, National Cancer Institute