Brandner, S

Mcnamara, Mairead

Thust, SC

Glioblastoma (also known as glioblastoma multiforme), a type ofglioma, is a high-grade brain tumor that develops from the glial cellssurrounding neurons. It is the most common aggressive intrinsic braintumor in adults, with the potential to spread rapidly within the brain.Patients with glioblastoma face a poor prognosis, with median overallsurvival of approximately 15 months. However, our growingunderstanding of the molecular biology of gliomas means that thisoutlook may be improving.The identification of clinically relevant subgroups defined byspecific genetic mutations is challenging the traditional delineationbetween low- and high-grade gliomas that has been based onhistological appearance and imaging. Indeed, it is becoming clear that,as a molecular entity, a glioblastoma, which by traditionalclassification is a grade IV glioma, may present with a lower gradeinitially and then become more aggressive – an important addition tothe established concept.The care of a patient with a glioblastoma requires a coordinatedapproach delivered by a multidisciplinary team, with the aim ofmaintaining quality of life for as long as possible. Here, we provide aconcise overview of the diagnosis and management of glioblastoma, aswell as discussion of our emerging understanding of the moleculardrivers that are helping us to delineate different patient subgroups.These subgroups will, hopefully, allow more targeted treatments inthe future.This resource will be of interest to all those involved in caring forpatients with this aggressive brain tumor, including neurologists,neurosurgeons, neuro-oncologists, radiation oncologists, palliativecare specialists, specialist nurses and medical students.<br/

Glioblastoma:New Molecular Concepts Pave the Way for Advances in Diagnosis and Treatment

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