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How Do Glioblastomas Differ From Other Brain Tumors?
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Astrocytomas start in glial cells called astrocytes.
Glioblastomas are one kind of astrocytoma the most aggressive kind.
One of the problems with astrocytomas is that they can spread throughout the brain, blending with normal tissue.
That makes them almost impossible to remove completely with surgery.
While they generally dont spread to other parts of the body, they can spread through cerebrospinal fluid.
Before the risks were known, children with ringworm on their scalp were treated with low-dose radiation.
How Is Glioblastoma Diagnosed?
There is no simple test to diagnose glioblastoma.
If the neurologist suspects a brain tumor, he or she will refer you for additional tests.
It grows quickly inside the brain, destroying brain tissue in the process.
They have made very slow progress at extending the life span of patients with the illness.
Glioblastoma is treated with surgery, radiation, and chemotherapy.
Its difficult to get certain chemotherapy drugs past that wall.
The disease often arises in active, otherwise healthy people, and more often in males, he notes.
There are many decisions that individuals and families need to make about treatment.
Additional reporting byBecky Upham.
He joined the clinical staff atEmory’s Winship Cancer Instituteas a practicing physician in July 2015.
Dr. Steuer received his medical degree from the New York University School of Medicine in 2009.
Brain Cancer
What Is Pediatric Low-Grade Glioma?
