What is GBM?
About glioblastoma
Glioblastoma, or GBM, is a type of primary brain cancer. This means that GBM tumors begin in the brain, rather than starting in another part of the body and traveling to the brain. GBM is the most common type of primary brain cancer in adults.
Dennis, an Optune Gio user and Patient Ambassador
Who can GBM affect?
You or your loved one’s diagnosis may have been the first time you heard about GBM. Because of this, it may seem like GBM is rare compared with other types of cancer. But you are not alone.
Behind the Mystery: Glioblastoma
Learn more about GBM, a rare tumor found in the brain that can be difficult to treat.
What part of the brain does GBM affect?
Most people get GBM tumors in their cerebral hemispheres. These are the left and right halves of the brain that control reading, thinking, speech, muscle movement, and emotions. Rarely, GBM can also appear in the brain stem or spinal cord.
What symptoms does GBM cause?
GBM rarely spreads to other areas of the body. But GBM tumors can grow quickly in the brain. Because of this, you may have noticed symptoms that appeared suddenly, as if out of nowhere.
As a GBM tumor grows, it can put pressure on the brain. This can cause:
Headaches
Nausea and vomiting
Drowsiness
Depending on the location of the tumor, GBM can also interfere with how the brain controls other parts of the body. This can lead to:
Seizures
Weakness on one side of the body
Difficulty with
memory or speech
Changes in vision
The difference between newly diagnosed GBM and recurrent GBM
Newly diagnosed GBM
When a GBM tumor is first confirmed by your doctor, it’s called newly diagnosed GBM. This means that the tumor has not been treated previously.
Recurrent GBM
Recurrent GBM is when GBM has come back after a period of time and a GBM tumor is visible on your MRI. Prior treatments may have removed or destroyed most GBM tumor cells. But some cancerous cells may remain and continue to grow. That’s because of the location of the tumor and the "finger-like tentacles" of a GBM tumor that may spread across the brain, making it difficult for treatment to reach all GBM cells.