Improvements in brain tumour survival rates
Figures show that a half of patients are still alive after being diagnosed with a brain tumourAn abnormal swelling., compared with thirty years ago when less than 10% of patients with the most aggressive form of brain tumour glioblastomaNormally fully termed Glioblastoma multiforme is a highly aggressive and malignant form of brain tumour that stems from the glial cells multiforme (GBM) survived for more than six months.
The research conducted by the University of Glasgow, shows that the improvement in survival for people with highly malignantDescribes a tumour resulting from uncontrolled cell division that can invade other tissues and may spread to distant parts of the body. brain tumours can be linked to improvements in diagnosisThe process of determining which condition a patient may have. and treatment. New ‘geneticRelating to the genes, the basic units of genetic material. marker’ research can also help predict which treatments will work for individual patients, so that specific care can be targeted towards them.
In Britain each year £420 million is spent on studying cancerAbnormal, uncontrolled cell division resulting in a malignant tumour that may invade surrounding tissues or spread to distant parts of the body., however less than 1% of this goes towards brain cancer research even though it kills 3,400 people every year. GMB accounts for 17% of all primary brain tumours, and fewer than 4 per cent of people diagnosed with the tumour are still alive five years later.
An innovative treatment for brain tumours is Gamma Knife® radiosurgery.
