What is Glioblastoma?
Glioblastomas are a fast-growing type of brain cancer and the most common malignant primary brain tumour. They develops from glial cells, which help support nerve cells and maintain normal brain function. Glioblastomas were previously referred to as “glioblastoma multiforme”, however “multiforme” was removed owing to recent WHO classifications which emphasised molecular diagnosis.
Additionally, glioblastoma is also defined as IDH-wildtype, which distinguishes it from astrocytoma, IDH-mutant, WHO grade 4.
Glioblastomas occur mainly in the cerebral hemispheres, however they can arise in the brainstem, cerebellum or spinal cord. These tumours consist of rapidly dividing cancer cells, have extensive networks of blood vessels, and often have a central core of dead tissue (central necrosis).
What Are Glioblastoma Symptoms?
Glioblastomas are aggressive primary brain tumors that develop from glial cells. Glioblastoma symptoms vary depending on tumour size, location, and growth rate. They often appear gradually, though some arise suddenly. Common signs of GBM cancer include:
Common signs of Glioblastoma include:
- Headaches
- Nausea or vomiting (sometimes linked to increased intracranial pressure)
- Seizures
- Muscle weakness on one side of the body or in the face
- Difficulty speaking, swallowing or changes in cognition
- Blurred vision, dizziness or coordination issues
- Personality or behavioural changes
As the tumour infiltrates the nervous system, it can affect nearby nerve cells, leading to more complex neurological signs. Early recognition of these symptoms is crucial.
Glioblastoma: What to Expect
Tumours grow rapidly and often infiltrate surrounding brain tissue, leading to symptoms like headaches, seizures, and weakness. Treatment usually includes maximal safe resection, radiotherapy and temozolomide (standard of care therapy). Supportive care and rehabilitation help manage symptoms and maintain quality of life. Prognosis varies depending on factors like patient age, tumour location, extent of resection, molecular features and overall health.
How Is Glioblastoma Diagnosed?
Diagnosis begins with a careful clinical assessment and neurological examination. Imaging, especially magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), is essential to visualise the tumour and surrounding healthy brain tissue. Diagnosis is confirmed on tumour tissue, either after surgery or by stereotactic biopsy when surgery is not feasible, so that histology and molecular tests can be performed. Key molecular markers include IDH status and MGMT promoter methylation, which inform prognosis and treatment planning. Age, performance status, and tumour location are also considered before therapy.
Australian guidance, including Cancer Australia, the Optimal Care Pathway for High-Grade Glioma, eviQ protocols, and professional imaging standards, recommends multidisciplinary review, timely MRI, and integrated histology plus molecular pathology before treatment planning.
Treatment and Management Options for Glioblastoma
Treatment for GBM brain cancer is multifaceted and aims to remove or reduce cancer cells, relieve symptoms, and maintain quality of life. Common approaches include:
When feasible, neurosurgeons aim to remove as much of the residual tumour as possible while preserving healthy tissue (maximal safe resection). Complete removal is often impossible due to the infiltrative nature of GBM.
Standard first-line therapy is concurrent radiotherapy with temozolomide followed by adjuvant temozolomide, the Stupp protocol, which improves survival versus radiotherapy alone.
Innovative approaches are being tested in clinical trial settings and patients may opt to enrol if eligible(see below)
Physical therapy, occupational therapy, and neuro oncology services help preserve brain function and overall quality of life alongside treatment.
Glioblastoma Survival Rate and Prognosis
The outlook for glioblastoma patients remains challenging.
Median survival is around 12–15 months with standard therapy. Prognosis is influenced by tumour biology, patient age, extent of surgery, and tumour progression.
Despite aggressive treatment, GBM is often associated with a poor prognosis, especially in recurrent disease.
According to the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, the 5-year relative survival for GBM, IDH-wildtype is 6.3% (2017–2021).
Living With Glioblastoma
Managing GBM involves more than medical treatment; it requires attention to daily living, physical function, and emotional wellbeing. Key areas include:
- Rehabilitation can include physiotherapy to address muscle weakness; occupational therapy to address coordination, and speech therapy to manage speech difficulties
- Symptom control often uses anticonvulsants for seizures and steroids to reduce swelling, with monitoring for side effects like weight gain, mood change, and raised blood sugar.
- Managing treatment effects after radiotherapy, for example radionecrosis, thinking and memory changes, or hormone problems.
- Psychological and social support for patients and carers
Guidance from healthcare professionals ensures timely interventions and maximises quality of life.
Research, Clinical Trials, and Hope for the Future
The GBM landscape in Australia continues to evolve as researchers test new therapies and refine standard care.
Emerging work includes targeted alpha therapy in early clinical evaluation and advanced immunotherapy approaches.
COGNO has led several trials that focus on improving how current treatments are used, for example MAGMA, which tested temozolomide sequencing and duration, and VERTU and NUTMEG, which assessed whether adding new agents to chemoradiation or adjuvant therapy could improve outcomes.
Earlier trials such as CABARET helped define the limits of options like bevacizumab with carboplatin at recurrence.
Research programs at WEHI, the Brain Cancer Centre, Peter Mac and SAHMRI are building large organoid and patient-derived model platforms to support fast drug screening and precision-medicine trial design.
WEHI and the Brain Cancer Centre also reported the first use of triple immunotherapy before surgery in a patient with glioblastoma, which increased immune activity in the tumour and supported a new international trial using a double-immunotherapy strategy as a first-line option.
WEHI and COGNO opened the SMART trial, which tests a shorter four-week radiotherapy schedule in place of the usual six weeks and plans to enrol about 330 patients. These efforts show that Australia is contributing across several fronts, from adaptive global trials to immunotherapy and radiotherapy innovation, with the goal of improving outcomes and patient experience.
Australia is also part of broader global efforts. Several centres contribute to GBM AGILE, an adaptive platform trial that tests multiple investigational therapies at once and can add or remove arms based on emerging data. This model aims to speed the evaluation of new treatments and improve access for Australian patients.
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Disclaimer: All content on Cure Brain Cancer Foundation website is created and published online for informational purposes only. It is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. You should seek your own medical advice from your doctor or other qualified health professional.
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