Glioblastoma also known as GBM or glioblastoma multiforme is a type of brain cancer that is very aggressive. According to a report published by Health Grades USA, glioblastoma affects approximately 14,000 people in the United States of America. This brain tumor cancer became widely known after US Governor John McCain was diagnosed with glioblastoma last year. Glioblastoma originates in the glial cells, the cells that support brain tissues. The glial cells reproduce rapidly thus glioblastoma, in turn, tends to attack the person suffering from it aggressively.
There are two types of glioblastomas, that’s is, de novo (primary) and secondary glioblastoma. A person affected with primary glioblastoma quickly shows symptoms of the glioblastoma while a person affected by secondary glioblastoma tends to take a long time before the symptoms of glioblastoma start showing. Currently, there is no cure for glioblastoma.
The 8 following point’s detail the things that you need to know about glioblastoma:
1. Glioblastoma Is More Prevalent Among Adults
According to Healthgrades USA, glioblastoma affects a high number of adults in comparison to young children and infants. A study conducted by Health Grades found out that 35 to 40 percent of all the adults diagnosed with cancerous tumors in the United States in 2016 had glioblastoma. There are different reasons attributed to this. According to the American Brain Tumor Association, age plays a major role in glioblastoma. The association stated that glioblastoma originates in the glial cells, cells that develop as one grows.
Healthgrades USA concurs with the American Brain Tumor Association stating that the mere fact that glial cells develop and reproduce in large numbers as the person ages play a part in it being more prevalent among adults. Healthgrades USA also went on to state that glioblastoma is much more prevalent in adult males than in adult females. It’s not yet proved why men are affected by glioblastoma than females.
