Is glioma cancer?

Written by Gao Yi Shen
Neurosurgery
Updated on September 04, 2024
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Gliomas are the most common type of malignant tumor within the skull, and they are also a form of cancer. Cancer is a very broad term essentially describing a process where some cells proliferate abnormally and differentiate without dying, and gliomas proliferate in the same way. To give an analogy, think of a bunch of villains: if there are heroes to suppress and resolve these villains, then generally, people would not develop tumors. However, if this group of villains gradually becomes stronger and defeats the heroes, then these villains gather within the body, forming a tumor. The same principle applies to the formation of cancer. Therefore, for such cases, it is crucial to detect cancer early and begin the appropriate treatment. Early treatment can have some very beneficial effects on the prognosis for the patient.

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Written by Guo Zhi Fei
Neurosurgery
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Glioma is a type of disease

Glioma is a very common malignant tumor in the brain, with malignancy levels divided into grades I, II, III, and IV. Grade I has the lowest malignancy, close to benign, and patients have a good prognosis after complete surgical removal. Grade IV gliomas have the highest malignancy and are also known as glioblastomas. These tumors do not have clear boundaries, making complete surgical removal impossible, and they are highly prone to recur after surgery, leading to poor prognosis. Even with the most advanced treatments, such as surgery combined with radiotherapy, chemotherapy, and gene therapy, the average survival time is only 12-14 months, and without treatment, the average survival time is only four months.

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Written by Chen Yu Fei
Neurosurgery
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Is glioma a terminal illness?

Glioblastoma is not an incurable disease. Patients with glioblastoma have a type of malignant tumor that tends to grow rapidly. These tumors often adhere to surrounding brain tissue in the early stages, making complete surgical removal difficult. If any glioma cells remain after surgery, the tumor tissue will gradually grow over time. Thus, patients with glioblastoma are prone to recurrence, but it is not an incurable disease. If early detection and surgical removal can be achieved, and supplemented by radiotherapy and chemotherapy, it can maximize the therapeutic effects of the surgery, thereby effectively improving the prognosis and delaying the progression of the disease. This approach can relatively extend the patient's lifespan, and some patients may even achieve long-term survival.

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Written by Chen Yu Fei
Neurosurgery
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Principles of Treatment for Glioma

For patients with glioma, the primary treatment method is still to surgically remove the tumor, followed by postoperative radiotherapy, chemotherapy, and other related treatments. The main treatment principle is to detect, diagnose, and treat early. During surgery, the tumor should be removed as completely as possible, and it is advisable to receive postoperative radiotherapy and chemotherapy early to effectively consolidate the surgical treatment effects. This helps to kill tumor cells to the greatest extent, slow down the probability and timing of tumor recurrence, and extend the patient's lifespan as much as possible. Therefore, for patients with glioma, it is recommended to choose to seek surgical treatment at well-known, top-tier hospitals locally.

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Written by Gao Yi Shen
Neurosurgery
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Glioma causes

In clinical practice, the etiology of gliomas is not very clear. It is not as straightforward as how smoking can easily lead to lung cancer or how cirrhosis can easily lead to liver cancer; many factors are speculative. For example, the most common theory in clinical practice involves genetics. Any form of genetic mutation or chromosomal mutation can induce the development of a glioma. For instance, excessive radiation exposure and drug abuse, and even maternal-fetal transmission or a genetic predisposition, could cause chromosomal abnormalities in patients, potentially leading to the formation of gliomas. However, the most fundamental cause has not yet been clearly identified.

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Written by Chen Yu Fei
Neurosurgery
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What are the symptoms of glioma?

Patients with gliomas often exhibit a range of symptoms including significant headaches, dizziness, nausea, and vomiting. As the tumor grows, it typically leads to an evident increase in intracranial pressure. Besides the original symptoms, some patients may also experience marked declines in vision, visual field deficits, and papilledema. The growth of the tumor inevitably compresses surrounding tissues, nerves, and blood vessels, leading to a variety of symptoms of neurological damage, such as noticeable hemiplegia, aphasia, and even abnormal sensations in one side of the body, characterized by numbness, pain, and a pins-and-needles sensation.