Glioblastoma of the brain (ICD 10, international classification of diseases) is a malignant tumor that occurs without the appearance of metastases. Tissue growth occurs due to the division of glial star cells called astrocytes.

The process takes place inside the skull. Neoplasms enlarge and proliferate, squeezing vital brain tissue. As a result, the functioning of the central nervous system (CNS) is disrupted. And as a consequence of this, the functioning of the body as a whole is disrupted.

Blastoma is very dangerous for human life. In the absence of metastasis, removal of the malignant lesions is often the main treatment. In an advanced state, the tumor is not operable.

After cutting, according to statistics, a person will live about 5 years. Since the disease tends to recur. Photos of patients are presented below.

Causes of glioblastoma

Cancer is an unpredictable phenomenon. It is difficult for doctors to determine the causes of the development of the disease and the occurrence of tumors. However, among the most likely are:

• genetic predisposition (presence of the disease in close relatives);
• the effect of ionizing radiation on body tissues;
• as a concomitant pathology of neurofibromatosis, astrocytoma (grades 1 and 2), etc.;
• when interacting with chemical reagents (for example, regular inhalation of vapors of harmful substances);
• congenital pathology in children that appears during the formation and development of the child (embryo).

The risk group includes:

• men from 40 to 60 years old;
• those who have close relatives with this disease (or with low-quality formations in general);
• people working in the production of harmful substances (PVC, chlorine compounds, etc.);
• patients who previously had cancer (including glioblastoma).

Symptoms of the disease

Detecting cancer is difficult. Pathology is not diagnosed without tests and studies. And the initial course of the disease is usually asymptomatic.

Unfortunately, it is possible to detect a blastoma either by chance during an adjacent examination, or at a late stage. As the tumor develops, filling the space of the skull with new tissue, it gives a number of symptoms that patients treat. Symptoms of the disease include:

1. Loss of appetite.
2. Headache. Feelings of fullness from inside the skull (cerebral edema).
3. Nausea, vomiting, general weakness and malaise.
4. Violation of the vestibular apparatus - dizziness, changes in gait.
5. Problems with the heart and lungs.
6. From the side of the central nervous system - memory, sleep, and speech deteriorate.
7. Vision deteriorates, intraocular pressure appears.
8. Changes in the sensitivity of the limbs.
9. Coma.

Classification of tumors

Based on cell type, there are three types:

• giant cell glioblastoma (large cells containing two or more nuclei);
• multiform (different tissues, many hemorrhages and blood vessels);
• gliosarcoma (the tumor affects only glia).

Based on localization in the brain, malignant tumors are divided into 5 types:

• stem;
• isomorphic cell glioblastoma;
• multiform;
• polymorphocellular;
• Grade 4 glioblastoma.

The first type is not curable. Operations in this case are impossible. Malignant cells are located in the trunk connecting the spinal cord and brain.

Surgical intervention in such a delicate area is dangerous and leads to disruption of the musculoskeletal system. For this reason, in most cases, stem glioblastoma is inoperable. They are usually detected by the presence of problems with heart rate and breathing.

The isomorphic cellular form is less common than the others. The tumor consists of cells of one type - round or oval. It is characterized by unclear contours and numerous centers of neoplasms.

Multiforme is characterized by a variety of atypical cells that arise from glia (the connective tissue of the network of neurons). As a result of exposure to unfavorable factors, healthy cells transform into malignant ones.

It is possible for head cancer to descend down the trunk, engulfing the spinal cord and further spreading to other neural systems. A third of brain glioblastoma tumors are of the multiforme variety.

The most common type is polymorphocellular. Cells, as a rule, are large, single-celled and of different shapes. Histological examination does not clearly reveal the cytoplasm of the cells due to its low content, so this species is not easy to detect.

Based on the number of malignant cells, tumors are divided into 4 grades. The first stage is transitional. Some benign ones turn into cancerous ones. This type is the easiest to treat.

Unfortunately, it is impossible to diagnose glioblastoma at this stage. This is due to the complete absence of symptoms. Only a random examination reveals this degree of brain cancer.

At the second stage, slow growth of cells occurs, among which atypical ones are increasingly found. The third is characterized by a large number of malignant tumors. Growth occurs much faster. Photos of the patients' brains before and after treatment are shown below.

The most dangerous grade 4 glioblastoma (Grade 4) is the most common. Simply because the last stage is easier to diagnose. Usually at this stage, pronounced syndromes appear, with which the patient consults a doctor. Once diagnosed, people die within months.

The more malignant tumors there are, the less chance of recovery. Of course, this also depends on the location of the tumor in different lobes of the brain and on many other factors.

Diagnostics

Modern diagnostic methods include:

• MRI (magnetic resonance imaging);
• CT (computed tomography);
• MRS (magnetic resonance spectroscopy);
• histological examination;
• PET (positron emission tomography).

These methods are used to identify the disease. The latter is considered the most accurate and modern.

To determine the malignancy of tumors and their size, it is better to use a comprehensive diagnosis. Otherwise, there is a risk of detecting a lower stage of the tumor and sizes that do not correspond to reality.

Treatment methods for glioblastoma

Glioblastoma does not metastasize. For this reason, removal of malignant tumors is often prescribed. Unfortunately, cases of relapse are not uncommon, since it is not possible to completely remove cancer cells.


Treatment directly depends on the location and size of the tumor. In most advanced cases, it is simply not operable.

After excision, radiation therapy and chemotherapy are sometimes prescribed in order to be sure to get rid of the recurrence of the disease. Among other things, they recommend following a certain diet, including increased intake of calcium, sodium, etc.

A new method is considered to be laser removal of glioblastomas. The targeting of the device helps to carry out targeted and selective interventions, which makes it possible to preserve more healthy cells.

Radiosurgery is also used along with the above treatment methods. But it is more of a prevention against relapse than an independent method.

In some cases, cryosurgery is used. If surgical removal is not possible, resort to this method. Malignant tissues are locally frozen. Of course, healthy people also suffer partially.

To relieve symptoms, painkillers, anti-swelling, and sedatives are prescribed. While not a treatment, they help at least somehow get through the last months.

All methods of alternative medicine and folk remedies are also ineffective.

How long do they live with her after surgery?

According to statistics, patients are given a maximum of 5-6 years for the entire course of the disease. There is little chance of recovery. But do not forget that statistics are a very relative thing. For this reason, you should not despair and accept these numbers as final.

In cases of depression, the course of the disease is unlikely to slow down; most likely, the opposite is true. While following treatment, diet and other doctor’s recommendations, a healthy lifestyle and an optimistic attitude will help prolong the time.

Consequences and prognosis

Glioblastoma is a disappointing diagnosis, almost a death sentence. Some doctors present the fact of the presence of a tumor this way. The life prognosis may vary depending on the stage of neglect.

Those who become ill are given a life span of no more than 5 years, and sometimes less. It is necessary to detect cancer as early as possible - at a stage when it is still curable.

Even with a successful operation, the probability of getting sick again is about 75%. Cancer comes back again and again. Given the delicate location of the tumor, the likelihood that living tissue will not be affected is very small.

The functioning of various systems may be disrupted during the removal operation, in particular the central nervous system and the musculoskeletal system. Not to mention brain activity in general.


As malignant tissues develop and grow, they have a compressive effect on vital neural networks in the cerebral cortex. As a result, malfunctions appear in the body.

Certain diets aimed at a healthy balanced diet for glioblastoma, acceptable physical activity, psychological health - all these factors affect life expectancy, but to a lesser extent.

Depends largely on:

• type of glioblastoma;
• stages of cancer;
• tumor size;
• localization (frontal, parietal, right and left temporal lobes, etc.);
• genetic inheritance;
• health of the body as a whole;
• age (older people suffer the disease the worst) and gender;
• lifestyle, bad habits;
• environment.

There is no cure for stage 4 glioblastoma. Photos of patients in the last stage of cancer are presented below. We talk about recovery only when the disease is detected at stages 1-2, and then in rare cases.

The main problem is the lack of a clear tumor boundary. Therefore, even when removed, part of it remains, and cell division continues. As a result, after 2-3 months the tumor grows again, so it cannot be cured, nor can one live with it for a long time. There are chances at stage 2 - 60% of patients continue to live. Cases of cure occur at the 1st stage, less often at the 2nd stage.

Last months

A person with stage 4 glioblastoma lives no more than 40 weeks. Of course, the figure is given from statistical data, so you should not rely on it.
The course of the disease is accompanied by severe pain that cannot be relieved by analgesics. There is often a disturbance in mental activity, up to a complete loss of the ability to think.

There is deterioration in memory, sleep, appetite, vision, and general well-being. The further you go, the harder it is to bear the pain. Eventually, the body stops accepting any medications.

If stage 4 cancer is detected, recovery is impossible. Patients are offered two options: either stay in the hospital (continue irradiation, etc.), or spend the last months and days of their life at home with their relatives.


Some choose the first option so as not to be a burden to their loved ones. This question is purely individual. Relatives and friends need to ensure the patient’s peace as much as possible.

In the last days, most likely the person will not even be able to take care of himself independently, and disability is likely. You need to worry about this in advance. It’s good if loved ones can take care of him.

In any case, if you suspect cancer, you must undergo a thorough examination. You should not trust one doctor or diagnose yourself using forums.

Only qualified help will accurately identify the presence of the disease and eliminate the possibility of error. You shouldn’t hope for a miraculous healing, but you shouldn’t darken the last days of your life either.

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Benign origin affects people, regardless of gender and age. There are no preventive measures for this disease. The main thing is to identify early symptoms, after which comprehensive treatment begins.

How long a patient will live with this diagnosis depends on coming to the doctor after the first symptoms of brain tumor development appear. But in the initial stage the disease can be asymptomatic.

Brain tumor symptoms

The tumor can develop inside the brain or get along with metastases from other organs through the bloodstream.

Depending on the location of the tumor, symptoms characteristic of this type are distinguished:

• headache, one of the first and very important signs of the onset of an illness; bursting pains that appear in one place, often at night, closer to the morning, and occur with the slightest movements;
• dizziness;
• nausea, feeling of heaviness in the stomach, vomiting;
• mental abnormalities in behavior, mood swings, sudden tearfulness, touchiness, irritability; decreased attention;
• loss of appetite, weight loss; fatigue;
• difficulty speaking, forgetfulness, finding the right words; slow pace of speech;
• difficulty in recognizing objects;
• impaired consciousness and perception of others;
• disorder in coordination of movements, unsteady gait;
• paralysis of any part of the body;
• hallucinations;
• auditory and visual impairments;
• disorders in the hormonal system;
• coma.

Diagnostics

This will determine how long the sick person will live after surgical treatment.

In addition to the usual examinations during MRI, CT, ultrasound, X-ray, a visual examination of the fundus of the eye and the condition of the blood vessels passing through this organ are carried out. If any disturbances appear, there is a loss of visual acuity and hearing.

CT scan of the brain

The vestibular system also suffers, so the doctor collects a complete history to clarify the diagnosis.

How long do people live with a brain tumor?

Most often in medical practice, the concept of a five-year survival rate is used. A successful outcome after surgery can be considered if patients pass this mark. But there are cases of a much longer life period.

Any statistics when determining survival are based on the development of a tumor in an organ.

Stages of tumor development:

• Stage I - contacting a doctor when the first signs of the disease appear (headache, nausea, change in gait) will make it possible to perform an operation and remove the tumor partially or completely;
• Stage II - the prognosis at treatment is less positive; the affected cellular structures begin to rapidly divide and compress neighboring tissues. In this case, the operation may no longer be so relevant. The age of the patient and the individual characteristics of the body also matter. Thus, after 65 years, in patients who have undergone surgery and undergone chemotherapy, the survival rate sharply decreases;
• Stage III - . Survival rates rarely reach two years. The tumor is growing rapidly. A person quickly loses vitality and strength to fight the disease. More often they remain alive for several months after starting treatment;
• Stage IV - the chances of recovery are dwindling every day. Here everything depends on the support of loved ones and the desire to live of the patient himself. In general, at this stage, metastases affecting other organs, life can be calculated in only a few months or very rarely, years. But only 5% of patients can cross this border.

Treatment

The patient is placed in the neurosurgical department, where an operation will be performed to partially or completely remove the brain tumor. If the patient's life is in danger, an emergency unscheduled operation is performed.

The tumor is operated on after establishing the location and determining the pressure on adjacent tissues and sections. Based on this, the question of the method of treatment is decided. If the tumor is not operable, courses of chemotherapy and radiation treatment are carried out. Individual courses are prescribed, each of which includes at least 10 sessions.

After irradiation, medical treatment is carried out with drugs that relieve pain and restore hormonal metabolism. The palliative method will help relieve headaches.

To answer the question whether it is possible to completely recover from a terrible disease, the answer will be the individual characteristics of the patient’s body, its contrast to the diagnosis, the struggle and desire to live, immunity, metabolic processes in the body. Rare, but there are statistical data on the survival and cure of patients even with stage 4 lesions.

Forecast

Survival for malignant brain tumors does not exceed one year. Of the patients, about half of the patients live 10-12 months, the rest pass away after the operation in a few months. A very small percentage, ranging from 10-15 percent, live 2-3 years.

If treatment begins at an early stage of tumor development, then after surgery and courses of treatment, patients live up to 10 years. But on average, the residence period is about 5 years. But the patient may experience neurological consequences.

Not only malignant, but also benign formations can grow, affecting surrounding healthy tissues, affecting entire systems. The prognosis of how long the patient can live with such a diagnosis depends on this.

The third stage of developing malignant tumor is rarely treatable. Cancer cells invade and attack healthy tissue too quickly. Relapses of a high degree of complexity are likely. Radiosurgery can be used at this stage. allowing the CyberKnife to reach its target and destroy cancer cells without harming healthy tissue. During this operation, the tumor is significantly reduced in size, and the pressure on surrounding tissues and organs is naturally reduced. The operation is performed 1-3 times during the treatment period.

Glioblastoma is one of the dangerous malignant diseases; in fact, patients with it do not live long. The outcome is usually fatal.

The chances of survival, determining how long you can live with a tumor, are different for everyone. This depends on the age, immunity of the patient, the nature of the tumor and location, stage of development. There are many examples when a person lives with it for more than 10 years.

Lymphoma stage 4 - how long do you live with it?		Brain stem tumor
Brain tumor treatment

Glioblastoma of the brain is by far the most dangerous type of all malignant brain tumors, being the most frequently diagnosed primary tumor of the central nervous system. The main distinguishing feature of glioblastoma is the chaotic arrangement of cells in it, as well as deformation of the vascular bed, pronounced edema and the presence of areas of necrosis of brain tissue. In addition, the disease is characterized by rapid progression with the involvement of an increasing number of healthy areas in the process - which is why the tumor has no visible boundaries.

Glioblastoma on a tomogram

How many people live with this diagnosis, and what is the prognosis for future life after removal of glioblastoma? Unfortunately, the answers to these questions are disappointing.

General information

Glioblastoma is localized only within the nervous system, most often located in the frontal and temporal lobes of the brain; Less commonly, the tumor is diagnosed within the cerebellum and brain stem; often large cysts form in it. The cells from which the formation grows are called astrocytes, named because of their special shape, and oligodendrocytes. Glioblastoma has an extreme, 4th degree of malignancy and occurs mainly in people of working age - after 40 years.

A prognosis for life expectancy can be made after assessing many factors.

Of great importance are the localization of the lesion, the possibility of removing a larger volume of the tumor during surgery, the general condition of the body, its response to the treatment received, the presence of concomitant diseases and the age of the patient. In addition, the patient’s place of residence plays an important role - unfortunately, in small towns the opportunities to receive a full course using modern drugs are somewhat lower. Material capabilities also matter - drugs to treat a tumor are quite expensive, and it requires taking a large number of different medications.

Glioblastoma grade 4 is characterized by rapid growth with progression of neurological deficits, so at this stage patients experience severe headaches, their speech is disrupted, and coordination of movements is impaired.

Will tumor removal prolong life?

Often, at the time of diagnosis, glioblastoma is located in a very inconvenient location for access - it is impossible to fully assess the field of work and reach all areas of the pathological process. In this case, they say that the tumor is inoperable. With an advantageous location, removing most of the tumor will help prolong life.

It is very rare to completely cut out pathologically altered tissue - glioblastoma of the brain is characterized by infiltrative growth, that is, it grows inside healthy tissue.

Even with the use of the most modern equipment, the neurosurgeon often finds it difficult to clearly identify the boundaries of the tumor; however, even with partial resection, the life expectancy is longer than without any treatment. The prognosis is not rosy: people with such a diagnosis do not live long; how long exactly depends on many factors.

Relapse after surgery

Is it possible for the tumor to grow again after surgery? Even though modern medicine has enormous capabilities in the treatment of cancer, in the case of glioblastoma the answer to this question is very ambiguous - with it it is very difficult to identify clear boundaries of the formation, since the tumor has an irregular shape. It is precisely because of the difficulties of identifying the boundaries that complete removal is impossible, so the risk of re-growth of glioblastoma remains very high.

The patient is undergoing chemotherapy

To slow down the development of the disease and prolong life after surgery, chemotherapy and radiation therapy are often carried out, however, even if the body reacts positively to radiation therapy, the prognosis is not the best - healthy tissue suffers, and tumor cells of grade 4 malignancy are quite resistant to radiation. This factor significantly limits doctors in calculating the radiation dose, so the effectiveness of treatment decreases. Chemotherapy is significantly complicated by the fact that not all drugs are able to penetrate the blood-brain barrier. Even with the use of a whole range of medical procedures, it will not be possible to significantly extend lifespan. It is impossible to predict how long a person with stage 4 glioblastoma will live after surgery.

Prognosis for glioblastoma

The prognosis for a grade 4 brain tumor is unfavorable due to poor localization of the tumor and the lack of clear boundaries with healthy tissue. There is a greater chance of survival if the tumor is detected early at an early stage - complete removal of the tumor is possible. A full course of treatment – ​​surgery followed by chemotherapy and radiation therapy – will help prolong life. Only in this case can the growth of glioblastoma be slowed down, but a course of maintenance chemotherapy must be carried out.

Life expectancy after diagnosis of grade 4 glioblastoma of the brain rarely exceeds 2 years - only 10% of patients manage to overcome this milestone. The most unfavorable location of the tumor is the brain stem - due to the presence of the respiratory and vasomotor center in it, surgical intervention rarely gives the desired results.

The prognosis for life with glioblastoma, even with proper treatment, is unfavorable

Life expectancy after surgery to remove glioblastoma of the brain is on average 10 months - about 40 weeks.

The presence of concomitant diseases and the elderly age of the patient shorten life expectancy. Diabetes mellitus, cardiovascular, renal or liver failure have a negative impact on the prognosis. The last days of a patient with glioblastoma of the brain are very difficult - pain becomes very intense, epileptic seizures often occur, cognitive functions are impaired, consciousness becomes cloudy, and limbs are often paralyzed. Some vital functions are disrupted, and the patient experiences complete loss of strength.

That singer Zhanna Friske died after a long battle with cancer - glioblastoma. Lenta.ru understands what kind of illness this is, what its symptoms are, how it is treated, and whether doctors had a chance to prevent the tragic outcome.

Glioblastoma is the most aggressive and most common of the malignant brain tumors (52 percent of all cases). If it is not treated in any way, the patient will live about three months from the moment the first symptoms appear. But even with treatment, the life expectancy is not much longer: for half of those sick it is one year, and only five percent manage to live longer than three years.

Causes

The causes of glioblastoma are largely unclear. It is known that the tumor affects neuroglial cells, a subtype of nervous tissue whose elements nourish and protect neurons. There are ten times more neuroglial cells than neurons. These cells do not reproduce in adulthood, but glial cell precursors are present in the brain. If there are disturbances in their development and reproduction, glioblastoma may occur.

It is impossible to predict who will develop the disease and when. This tumor affects men somewhat more often than women, especially if we talk about men over 50 years of age. The disease is not inherited. The risk does not increase if a person smokes, eats canned meat, or is exposed to electromagnetic radiation. However, some viruses increase the likelihood of the disease, such as cytomegalovirus, human herpes virus type 6 (HHV-6) and SV40 (a polyomavirus first discovered in monkeys). Ionizing radiation (radiation) also contributes.

There are certain mutations (in the p53, CDK4, Rb genes) associated with the disease, but glioblastoma is almost always accompanied by several mutations in a complex. The types of such mutations are also different: they can be deletions (loss of DNA fragments from chromosomes), amplifications (increased number of DNA copies compared to the norm) and even point mutations (replacements of one or two nucleotides out of thousands of similar ones in the DNA molecule).

It is reported that Zhanna Friske felt unwell some time after the birth of her child. There is no evidence that pregnancy and childbirth can cause the disease. However, they can accelerate the development of any glial brain tumor (not necessarily glioblastoma), especially the second or third degree.

Image: Christaras A. / Wikipedia

Symptoms

On the one hand, the adult brain does not have special capabilities to restore its functions. On the other hand, there are so many cells in it that the brain is able to survive very significant losses without deterioration in performance.

This plays a cruel joke on all patients with brain tumors, including patients with glioblastoma. As a rule, a tumor is detected on tomographic images when it is already irreparably large and contains hundreds of billions of cells. Only then does the patient begin to feel unwell: nausea, vomiting, cramps, and headache occur. Obviously, none of these signs are unique. The same symptoms apply to traumatic brain injuries (which, by the way, sometimes cause brain tumors).

“Early diagnosis of glioblastoma, unfortunately, is only possible by chance: for example, as a result of an MRI. Given the clinical indicators for diagnosis, the disease is far from at an early stage,” said Alexey Remez, CEO of the medical startup UNIM.

Treatment

Modern medicine cannot cure glioblastoma completely. All doctors can do is to increase the patient's life expectancy after diagnosis by 10-12 times. In absolute numbers, the increase is insignificant: without treatment, a patient dies after three months, and someone who has had the tumor surgically removed lives one to two years, sometimes three.

It is difficult to treat glioblastoma because drugs that could act on the tumor do not pass well through the blood-brain barrier - the cellular layer between the vessels and neurons of the brain that does not allow bacteria, viruses, immune system cells, or drugs to pass through. In addition, the tumor cells themselves are extremely resistant to many chemotherapy drugs.

The main treatment method is surgical removal of the tumor. The patient's life is prolonged if at least 98 percent of its volume is removed. Considering the normal size of the tumor, there are still a billion malignant cells left after surgery. Radiation therapy and chemotherapy reduce this number by ten thousand times, but the tumor quickly grows and returns to its previous size.

Of course, doctors and patients pin their hopes on new treatment methods. For example, in February 2015, Israeli scientists in the scientific journal ACS Nano reported an experiment on the treatment of glioblastoma in laboratory mice using nanoparticles that deliver small interfering RNA to the tumor. Such molecules can block the production of proteins by malignant cells. One hundred days after the start of the experiment, 60 percent of the individuals from the experimental group remained alive, and in the control group (without therapy at all) no one lasted longer than 40 days.

Of course, the experiment was conducted on mice, not humans. In addition, the tumor did not disappear after such therapy, which means there is no need to talk about a complete recovery.

Was there a chance?

“Theoretically, Zhanna Friske’s tumor could have been detected earlier. In practice, the timing of diagnosis, as well as life expectancy, depend on many factors. The localization of glioblastoma plays an important role: depending on which area of ​​the brain the tumor is located, it will make itself felt sooner or later. Accordingly, life spans will differ. For example, glioblastoma in the trunk would have been found earlier, but the patient’s life expectancy would have been shorter... Unfortunately, the disease is incurable. Two years (that’s how long Zhanna Friske fought the disease) is above average. The patient’s life expectancy is influenced by age: as it increases, life expectancy after diagnosis progressively decreases,” said Alexey Kislyakov, a pathologist specializing in tumors of the central nervous system, head of the pathomorphology laboratory at the Morozov Hospital.

Unfortunately, glioblastoma is one of the most problematic tumors, and the results of its treatment are disappointing both in Russia and abroad, Mikhail Girshovich explains the tragedy of the situation. Without treatment, you can live from 3 to 6 months with glioblastoma; on average, taking the necessary measures will increase this period by 2-3 times. With complete surgical resection of the tumor in combination with the best chemoradiotherapy, 20% of patients manage to live up to 3 years, but cases of complete healing, unfortunately, are a real rarity - and a relapse can occur after 5 or 10 years. At the same time, the longest documented survival period after a diagnosis of glioblastoma was 20 years, which gives hope for future successes.

Treatment for glioblastoma consists of neurosurgery, radiation therapy and chemotherapy. It is almost impossible to remove the entire tumor, according to Mikhail Girshovich. Sometimes the intervention of a neurosurgeon is limited to only a biopsy (sampling of tumor tissue for diagnosis).

During radiation therapy, the operated area and residual changes are irradiated, as well as the area of ​​the brain where individual tumor cells may be located (about 2.5 cm around the tumor). Using chemotherapy together with radiation therapy increases the effectiveness of treatment by 2 times. “But, unfortunately, the tumor is moderately sensitive to all measures existing today - we will not be able to advance in the treatment of glioblastoma unless more effective drugs appear,” noted a senior researcher at the Department of Radiation Oncology and Radiation Diagnostics of the Research Institute of Oncology named after. N.N. Petrova.

The expensive drug Temodal is used for chemotherapy of patients with glioblastoma. “I can’t name the exact price, but chemotherapy with Temodal is a total of 5 times higher than the funds allocated for a course of radiation therapy,” says Mikhail Girshovich. In Russia it is also used, although in very limited quantities and only in some institutions due to its high cost. “We don’t have this drug at our research institute, because the state doesn’t supply it to federal institutions—it is distributed among regions and city institutions,” noted Mikhail Girshovich. “For example, this drug is available in some quantities at the City Oncology Center.”

Treatment of brain tumors in Russia cannot be called patient-friendly,” the doctor noted. “For example, a St. Petersburg resident who will first need neurosurgery, and then radiation and chemotherapy, will have to move from one institution to another. Because at the Oncology Research Institute he will not be able to undergo chemotherapy (there is no drug), and in city institutions it is difficult to find equipment for radiation therapy - only the City Oncology Dispensary and the St. Petersburg Scientific and Practical Oncology Center for specialized types of medical care have linear accelerators.

It is difficult to predict what condition the patient will be in during treatment - it all depends on the location of the tumor, how big it was, and how successful the operation was. “Sometimes patients require inpatient conditions during the course of treatment, but it is possible that the patient will be able to lead an active life,” says an employee of the Oncology Research Institute. N.N. Petrova.

However, despite the difficulties of treatment in Russia, treatment abroad does not provide any special advantages, says Mikhail Girshovich. “This is a double-edged sword: treatment abroad is definitely a commercial service, and if the patient runs out of money, the treatment will stop, regardless of its stage and results,” he explains. “Treatment in Russia gives at least some guarantees.” According to him, the waiting list for radiation treatment can be up to a month.

Unfortunately, it is impossible to insure yourself against the appearance of glioblastoma, and there are no effective screening methods - the tumor develops very quickly. The clinical picture is similar to the clinical picture of a stroke. Finding a glioblastoma before it manifests itself is only possible by chance—most often, an MRI detects a tumor after symptoms appear.

“I do not advise Russians to constantly do MRIs to be on the safe side - from the point of view of prevention, you need to think about the more common tumors - lungs, breast, prostate. Primary gliomas are 10 times less common than metastatic brain lesions from other tumors,” noted Mikhial Girshovich.
Glioblastoma can be called a rare tumor in comparison with other malignant lesions, but it does not occur in very few cases. For example, in 2008 in the USA it was found in 19 thousand patients.

Let us recall that a few days ago, Zhanna Friske’s husband and father of her child, TV presenter Dmitry Shepelev, officially confirmed that his wife was diagnosed with the most aggressive form of brain tumor - glioblastoma. With the help of Rusfond and Channel One, caring people have already collected more than 65 million rubles for the expensive treatment of Zhanna Friske.

Doctor Peter