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Suggest Treatment For Glioblastoma Multiforme
Question: My friend was operated on 2wks ago. She was told she has Glioblastoma Multiforme.They said they believe they got it all. She is 60yrs.old and 4months. She was told chemo and lazer treatments.She and her husband have not been told how deadly this is. I spoke to both of them and I was concerned because they don't get how serious this is.When do the Drs.tell them?
Brief Answer:
The doctors do not hide the facts, depends on how patients read them.
Detailed Answer:
I read your question carefully and I understand your concern.
There is not a later time when us doctors tell the patients the gravity of prognosis, we provide the information we know as soon as the diagnosis is made. Even if we don't like giving bad news we have to let patients know in order for them to make necessary arrangements to their life. So while I don't know her doctors personally I believe they must have informed her about the prognosis, about median survival etc.
At times though it depends on what patients read into, how much they are willing to accept facts. They might have been told that but are simply in denial. Other times they choose to read only the positive facts, say if they are told that 2 year mortality is 75% they might instead concentrate on the fact that there is a 5% can make it to 5 years. When there are also further therapeutic steps like chemotherapy and radiotherapy they might prefer to stay positive and think about the goals and what needs to be done instead of the end (which is not necessarily a bad thing).
So to conclude it is hard for me to say not knowing your friends, their doctors, their interaction etc, but generally patients and family members are told about the malignancy of this tumor and the prognosis, there is not a later time when that is done.
The doctors do not hide the facts, depends on how patients read them.
Detailed Answer:
I read your question carefully and I understand your concern.
There is not a later time when us doctors tell the patients the gravity of prognosis, we provide the information we know as soon as the diagnosis is made. Even if we don't like giving bad news we have to let patients know in order for them to make necessary arrangements to their life. So while I don't know her doctors personally I believe they must have informed her about the prognosis, about median survival etc.
At times though it depends on what patients read into, how much they are willing to accept facts. They might have been told that but are simply in denial. Other times they choose to read only the positive facts, say if they are told that 2 year mortality is 75% they might instead concentrate on the fact that there is a 5% can make it to 5 years. When there are also further therapeutic steps like chemotherapy and radiotherapy they might prefer to stay positive and think about the goals and what needs to be done instead of the end (which is not necessarily a bad thing).
So to conclude it is hard for me to say not knowing your friends, their doctors, their interaction etc, but generally patients and family members are told about the malignancy of this tumor and the prognosis, there is not a later time when that is done.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
My friend was told she can't have radiation do to mass amounts of radiation in her head.(she had chraniofargioma at age 16 and was given radiation then,(44 yrs.ago)She was told ,they want to send her to Univ. of Maryland in XXXXXXX What do you think they can do? Chemo ? Do they do any kind of experemental?
Brief Answer:
Chemo most likely.
Detailed Answer:
Hello again. If radiation is not possible the only left therapeutic option is chemotherapy. The most widely used drug is temozolomide. It has been proven to be associated with longer survival times, but still far from satisfactory. Carmustine (BCNU) and cisplatin are two other chemotherapeutic agents used against such malignant gliomas
She may of course be offered to participate in some clinical trial of new agents (several under investigation like bevacizumab, gene therapy, radiolabelled antibodies etc), but can't say what projects and selection practices that particular University is involved in.
Let me know if I can further assist you.
Chemo most likely.
Detailed Answer:
Hello again. If radiation is not possible the only left therapeutic option is chemotherapy. The most widely used drug is temozolomide. It has been proven to be associated with longer survival times, but still far from satisfactory. Carmustine (BCNU) and cisplatin are two other chemotherapeutic agents used against such malignant gliomas
She may of course be offered to participate in some clinical trial of new agents (several under investigation like bevacizumab, gene therapy, radiolabelled antibodies etc), but can't say what projects and selection practices that particular University is involved in.
Let me know if I can further assist you.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
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