Glioblastoma is a rapidly progressing cancer of the brain, and its treatment can’t be delayed for a single day after making an accurate diagnosis. Neurosurgeons in Israeli clinics start surgically removing this type of dangerous malignant intracranial tumor in a matter of days after diagnosis. The highest level of modern equipment of Israeli neurosurgical centers, combined with highly qualified surgeons, oncologists and radiologists, can give a glioblastoma patient a high chance of recovery.
Risk factors
Statistically, glioblastoma develops more often in men, but women also often suffer from this severe cancer of the central nervous system. Oncologists also identify other risk factors.
- Poor ecology and constant contact with industrial carcinogens, including lead.
- High-dose exposure to ionizing radiation and work in a radiation-unfavorable environment.
- Oncologists often associate the development of glioblastoma with herpes virus type VI and polyomavirus SV40.
- There is a link with malaria – not direct link, either via a malarial mosquito bite, which can transmit a certain carcinogenic virus or other agent.
- There is also a family factor, in particular hereditary neurofibromatosis – a genetic disease that increases the chances of developing glioblastoma.
- In 10% of cases of this type of brain cancer, its development was provoked by astrocythroma – a low malignancy neoplasm in the central nervous system.
In most cases, glioblastoma develops in the brain sporadically and without any obvious reasons, so the risk factors for this type of cancer are subjective.
Glioblastoma Symptoms
Symptoms of this type of cancer are associated with its growth and pressure on the responsible areas of the brain. If the neoplasm is located near the motor and speech centers, the patient may notice some coordination of movements and speech disorders for no obvious reason, and fainting also occurs. Glioblastoma can manifest itself in other non-specific symptoms.
- Frequent and prolonged headaches that cannot be relieved by analgesics.
- Constant dizziness.
- Morning vomiting and nausea.
- Sharp deterioration of vision.
- Forgetfulness and drowsiness.
- Olfactory disorders or even loss of smell.
However, even such subjective symptoms may not occur if the tumor is not localized in main brain centers. Small tumors are found accidentally during a preventive examination or on an MRI of the head, for example, during sinusitis treatment.
Diagnostics
- Laboratory blood tests, including for hormones – glioblastoma can be hormone-dependent.
- Electroencephalography (EEG).
- Computed tomography, magnetic resonance imaging, and positron emission tomography (CT, MRI, and PET).
- Biopsy during surgery for histological examination.
Glioblastoma treatment in Israel
Israeli clinics use the latest microsurgical technologies, including robotic microsurgery. This allows to remove the tumor completely without damaging the surrounding brain tissue. Patients with this dangerous brain cancer often come to Israel for treatment, because they were denied surgery in their home country. This denial is caused by the fact that glioblastoma does not have clear margins, so traditional methods of neurosurgery often can remove only the part of the tumor, which makes such treatment only palliative.
Israeli neurosurgeons use combined methods to treat glioblastoma depending on its type (gliosarcoma, multiforme or giant cell):
- stereotactic radiosurgery;
- microsurgery;
- targeted therapy;
- gentle chemotherapy.
The implementation of advanced technologies for brain cancer treatment combined with ideal conditions for rehabilitation has made Israel a world center for medical tourism for patients with CNS cancer.