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This is glioblastoma
Glioma is a type of brain tumor that forms in the brain's glial cells and is graded from grade 1 to 4. Grades 2 to 4 are cancer, with glioblastoma grade 4 being the most aggressive form. The average survival time for glioblastoma is less than two years. Glioblastoma is not hereditary.
In glioblastoma, the tumor often grows into the healthy brain tissue surrounding it. This makes it difficult to completely remove the tumor during surgery.
Standard treatment for glioblastoma
If the tumor is located in a place where it can be operated on, as much of it as possible is removed. This is followed by radiation therapy five times a week for six weeks. At the same time, chemotherapy with temozolomide, taken in tablet form, is administered. After radiation therapy, the treatment can be supplemented with TTF (Tumor Treating Fields), also known as Optune. With TTF, electrodes are attached to the head, creating electric fields that inhibit the growth of any remaining tumor tissue.
More research is needed
Glioblastoma can be treated but cannot currently be cured. The treatment has remained largely unchanged for a long time, and more research is needed.
The moving image above does not depict a cancer cell but is a 3D model of the protein IRE1 with the molecule Z4P bound to its active site. This could hold the key to a cure for glioblastoma. Read more about the current research here.
More information about glioblastoma