What Patients Need to Know About the Remission Rate of Glioblastomas
Patients are overwhelmed when they are diagnosed with glioblastoma, the most deadly primary brain cancer. It resists existing treatments and recurs in all patients, with a relatively short survival time averaging 14-18 months. Understanding the rate of remission for this disease can therefore enable patients and their caregivers to have a clear picture of what to expect, and therefore be guided in making any decisions they need to make. We discuss some of the factors influencing remission in GBM.
It is important to note that GBM tumors almost always regrow, so remission in this case should be viewed as the duration during which the tumor isn’t progressing. It is often still visible when MRI scans are done to monitor the progress of the disease and it is rare for a patient to have undetectable traces of the cancer.
The extent to which the tumor has been resected affects remission rates. Individuals who have most or all the tumor removed during a surgical procedure usually have longer remission durations. Many times, it is difficult to remove the entire tumor because it grows in sensitive parts of the brain and spreads to different regions of the brain, so malignant tissues usually remain within the brain and eventually regrow.
The molecular structure of a patient also plays a role in the remission rate. Patients who have IDH2, IDH1 or MGMT methylation usually respond better to chemotherapy targeting the tumor, and these patients often have longer remission. Those without these molecular attributes tend to have shorter remission durations since more of the cancer remains despite the completion of all the needed treatment.
Treatment adherence is also vital to improved chances of longer remission duration. Patients who receive all the prescribed treatment within the required time have a higher chance of improved remission rates while those who, for one reason or the other, can’t complete the treatment protocol as prescribed have shorter remission durations.
Performance status and age impacts remission durations. Patients who are in good physical shape and those who are younger often benefit more from treatment and exhibit longer remission than patients who are older and aren’t in good physical shape. Robust performance of daily activities, such as exercise, tends to be a good indicator of longer remission.
For patients who have access to trials testing new therapies, such as targeted drugs, immunotherapies and TTFs (tumor-treating fields), the chances of longer remission can improve as these novel treatments often exhibit greater efficacy against GBM.
Given that only 25% of people diagnosed with GBM experience remission lasting at least two years, the success rates of current treatments indicated for glioblastomas are very low indeed. This is the reason why companies like CNS Pharmaceuticals Inc. (NASDAQ: CNSP) and the broader scientific community are racing to develop better treatments against this brain cancer.
NOTE TO INVESTORS: The latest news and updates relating to CNS Pharmaceuticals Inc. (NASDAQ: CNSP) are available in the company’s newsroom at https://ibn.fm/CNSP
Please see full terms of use and disclaimers on the BioMedWire website applicable to all content provided by BMW, wherever published or re-published: http://BMW.fm/Disclaimer
Patients are overwhelmed when they are diagnosed with glioblastoma, the most deadly primary brain cancer. It resists existing treatments and recurs in all patients, with a relatively short survival time averaging 14-18 months. Understanding the rate of remission for this disease can therefore enable patients and their caregivers to have a clear picture of what to expect, and therefore be guided in making any decisions they need to make. We discuss some of the factors influencing remission in GBM.
It is important to note that GBM tumors almost always regrow, so remission in this case should be viewed as the duration during which the tumor isn’t progressing. It is often still visible when MRI scans are done to monitor the progress of the disease and it is rare for a patient to have undetectable traces of the cancer.
The extent to which the tumor has been resected affects remission rates. Individuals who have most or all the tumor removed during a surgical procedure usually have longer remission durations. Many times, it is difficult to remove the entire tumor because it grows in sensitive parts of the brain and spreads to different regions of the brain, so malignant tissues usually remain within the brain and eventually regrow.
The molecular structure of a patient also plays a role in the remission rate. Patients who have IDH2, IDH1 or MGMT methylation usually respond better to chemotherapy targeting the tumor, and these patients often have longer remission. Those without these molecular attributes tend to have shorter remission durations since more of the cancer remains despite the completion of all the needed treatment.
Treatment adherence is also vital to improved chances of longer remission duration. Patients who receive all the prescribed treatment within the required time have a higher chance of improved remission rates while those who, for one reason or the other, can’t complete the treatment protocol as prescribed have shorter remission durations.
Performance status and age impacts remission durations. Patients who are in good physical shape and those who are younger often benefit more from treatment and exhibit longer remission than patients who are older and aren’t in good physical shape. Robust performance of daily activities, such as exercise, tends to be a good indicator of longer remission.
For patients who have access to trials testing new therapies, such as targeted drugs, immunotherapies and TTFs (tumor-treating fields), the chances of longer remission can improve as these novel treatments often exhibit greater efficacy against GBM.
Given that only 25% of people diagnosed with GBM experience remission lasting at least two years, the success rates of current treatments indicated for glioblastomas are very low indeed. This is the reason why companies like CNS Pharmaceuticals Inc. (NASDAQ: CNSP) and the broader scientific community are racing to develop better treatments against this brain cancer.
NOTE TO INVESTORS: The latest news and updates relating to CNS Pharmaceuticals Inc. (NASDAQ: CNSP) are available in the company’s newsroom at https://ibn.fm/CNSP
Please see full terms of use and disclaimers on the BioMedWire website applicable to all content provided by BMW, wherever published or re-published: http://BMW.fm/Disclaimer
