According to an article from PRNewswire, recent research may have discovered why glioblastoma tumors develop resistance to treatment. Glioblastoma is a deadly form of brain cancer that is known for its ability to relapse and resist treatment.
Glioblastoma is generally regarded as the most aggressive type of brain cancer. Most people do not survive much beyond a year after receiving a diagnosis, and the five year survival rate is appallingly low, at only 3 to 5 percent.
Symptoms often worsen very quickly. They can include headaches, changes to personality, stroke-like symptoms, and eventually loss of consciousness. Treatment commonly involves surgery followed by chemotherapy and radiation therapy, but relapse is common. Other treatment problems involve the vulnerability of the brain to many treatments, the limitations of the brain’s ability to heal, and the fact that many drugs cannot breach the blood-brain barrier to reach the tumor. Research into immunotherapy treatments is ongoing and has demonstrated potential so far. Glioblastoma is often diagnosed in patients who are in their sixties. To learn more about this type of brain cancer, click here.
In the study scientists have discovered the manner in which glioblastoma tumors develop their resistance to conventional treatment. In addition, no new treatments will have to be developed and tested in order to exploit this new information; researchers say that there are currently drugs available that can prevent the cancer from developing resistance. Glioblastoma utilizes insulin signaling in order to continue growing despite targeted treatment.
The researchers emphasize that while blocking insulin signaling can increase the effectiveness of treatment, it may not be enough to completely eliminate glioblastoma; however, it can undoubtedly extend survival time. Regardless, the scientists believe that the new information can be used to develop treatments that can exploit this new weakness more effectively than those that are currently available.
