Why Brain Tumors Are Challenging to Treat
New therapies may help extend survival in brain cancer patients.
By Kathleen Hall, Contributor | Aug. 10, 2017, at 9:00 a.m.
As you've no doubt heard, veteran U.S. Senator John McCain was just diagnosed with a brain tumor, and many people are wondering about the prognosis and survival rate of this type of cancer. McCain joins other high-profile individuals who've also had brain tumors, including Senator Ted Kennedy and former vice president Joe Biden's son Beau.
McCain has a type of tumor called a glioma, which arises from cells called glia, explains Dr. Andrew Chi, chief of neuro-oncology at Perlmutter Cancer Center at NYU Langone Medical Center. Glia are support cells in the brain and spinal cord. Glioblastoma multiforme, as it's technically called, is a fast-growing, advanced cancer and the most common of the gliomas. Approximately 56 percent of all adult brain tumors are glioblastomas; these also occur in children. Some low-grade glioblastomas are precancerous, but about 70 percent of them eventually become malignant.
http://health.usnews.com/health-care/patient-advice/articles/2017-08-10/why-brain-tumors-are-challenging-to-treat?int=health-care-rec
