Abnormal cell growth that begins in the brain or spinal cord is called glioma. However, the cells in glioma look very similar to certain healthy cells in the brain (glial cells). These cells are located around nerve cells and help them function.
When the glioma grows and forms a tumor (a mass of cells) it may put pressure on the spinal cord or brain and cause symptoms. The symptoms often appear depending on the part of the spinal cord or brain that is affected.
While there are different glioma types, some of them grow slowly and are not cancerous (benign). However, others are cancerous (malignant) and these cells grow quite fast and may negatively affect healthy tissues of the brain. Furthermore, some glioma types impact mostly adults while others affect children mostly.
The treatments differ among people because it depends on the type of glioma you experience, existing health problems, and other factors. Commonly, treatments include surgery, radiation therapy, chemotherapy, and others.
Symptoms
The symptoms often appear according to the location and size of the glioma. Check below some symptoms:
- Nausea
- Vomiting
- Headaches
- Confusion or decline in brain function
- Thinking and understanding information difficulty
- Memory loss
- Personality changes
- Irritability
- Vision changes (such as blurred vision, double vision, or peripheral vision loss)
- Speaking problems
- Seizures
If any of the previous symptoms occur or you think you have this condition, immediately contact your healthcare professional.
Causes
Healthcare providers do not fully understand why glioma happens but it begins due to DNA changes (mutations) in the brain or spinal cord cells. DNA of a cell contains instructions that tell a cell what to do (such as grow, multiply, and die). However, DNA mutations give different instructions to the cells, which make them grow and multiply in a fast way. When abnormal cells are too much they form a mass of cells called tumors. If the tumor becomes too large, it may put pressure on the nearby spinal cord and brain parts or nerves or may break away and go throughout the body invading other organs and tissues.
When glioma develops more changes in the DNA it may lead to brain cancers because these abnormal cells destroy healthy brain tissues.
Risk Factors
The following factors may increase your risk of developing glioma. Examples include:
- Family history of glioma – This condition usually runs in families but rarely. In any case, more research is needed to understand if the glioma risk passes from parents to children.
- Radiation exposure – The risk of glioma increases if you are exposed to ionizing radiation (such as radiation therapy).
- Age – People between 45 and 65 years old are more prone to develop glioma but it may happen at any age as well.
Diagnosis
Healthcare professionals usually diagnose this condition by performing the following tests. Examples include:
- Neurological examination – This procedure is used to check your vision, hearing, balance, coordination, strength, and reflexes. If you face problems to perform certain tasks, it may indicate a brain tumor.
- Imaging tests – These tests make detailed pictures of the brain and spinal cord. Thus, it helps determine whether you have tumors or not. In most cases, doctors perform an MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) but may also use CT (computerized tomography) or PET (positron emission tomography).
- Biopsy – This procedure involves the removal of a small sample of tissue and sending it to the laboratory for testing under a microscope. This test is usually performed when surgery is not an option for you.
- Tests on tumor cells – A sample of the tumor is sent to the laboratory to check for cancer cells during this procedure. Doctors usually get the tumor sample during a biopsy or surgery that removes the glioma. Thereafter, laboratory tests often help doctors determine whether you have a glioma and which type it is. Healthcare providers who perform this lab test are called pathologists.
Treatment
Surgery is the primary treatment for people with glioma but not every time it is possible. For instance, if the tumor grows in the vital brain parts, the risk is too high to remove all gliomas. Thus, doctors recommend radiation therapy, chemotherapy, and others.
The treatments for people with glioma are different because they depend on tumor size and location in the brain, existing health problems, age, and other factors.
Surgery
An intervention to remove the glioma is often the primary treatment option. Sometimes, surgery is the only treatment needed.
If the glioma cannot be removed completely, surgeons usually remove it as much as possible (a subtotal resection). The removal of a part of the tumor sometimes is needed to reduce symptoms and it is performed when the tumor can easily be separated from healthy tissues.
The procedure that removes the glioma may put you at a higher risk of bleeding and infections. In other cases, you may be at higher risk of vision loss if the glioma is located near nerves that connect to the eyes.
Radiation Therapy
This therapy involves powerful energy beams that come from X-rays, protons, or other sources to destroy cancerous cells. During this treatment, you will lie down on a table and a specific machinery will move around you directing the radiation to the tumors. However, radiation therapy is frequently used after surgery to kill cancer cells that may remain after surgery.
Chemotherapy
This treatment option involves strong medications that usually are given intravenously (IV) to destroy cancer cells. However, a pill form also is available. In most cases, physicians prescribe chemotherapy along with radiation therapy, especially if surgery is not an option.
Possible adverse reactions include nausea, vomiting, hair loss, fever, and extreme tiredness (fatigue).
Field Therapy
This procedure uses electrical energy to damage and kill cancer cells. It also reduces the risk of developing new gliomas. It is usually recommended by doctors to treat an aggressive form of glioma (glioblastoma). Commonly, field therapy is used along with chemotherapy.
Targeted Therapy
This treatment involves specific medicines that block certain proteins in the cancer cells, causing them to die. Healthcare professionals may perform some tests to determine whether targeted therapy is effective for you or not. However, doctors prescribe this treatment often when other treatments are not effective.
Other Treatments
If you experience symptoms caused by glioma, doctors may prescribe additional medicines to control the symptoms. Examples include:
- Seizure medications
- Steroid medicines (to lessen brain swelling)
- Medications to improve alertness (if you have severe fatigue)
- Medicines to help with thinking and memory problems
After Treatment
Glioma treatment may cause different health problems and you might need additional treatments. For example:
- Physical therapy (to recover lost motor skills or muscle strength)
- Occupational therapy
- Speech therapy
- Tutoring for school-age children to help them overcome memory and thinking changes after a brain tumor.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can glioma be cured?
Yes, but not every time because it depends on several factors including overall health, age, the tumor size and location, the severity of the condition, and others.
What are the possible complications of glioma?
People with glioma may experience some complications, especially without treatment. Examples include:
- Seizures
- Spinal metastases
- Elevated intracranial pressure
- Hydrocephalus
- Brain hemorrhage or herniation
- Treatment complications include depression, tumor recurrence, and others
- Surgery complications include stroke, infections, delayed wound healing, venous thromboembolism, and others.
- Death
What is the life expectancy in people with glioma?
Healthcare providers estimate the 5-year survival rate is 19.5% in children up to 14 years and 27.3% in people between 15 to 39 years. If you have additional questions, ask your healthcare provider.
