Download What is Glioblastoma? What are the Risk Factors for Glioblastoma

What are the Risk Factors for
Glioblastoma?
Risk factors alter a person’s chance
of getting a disease. However,
having a risk factor does not
mean you will get the disease. Risk
factors for glioblastoma, as well
as other types of brain tumors, are
largely unknown. Abnormalities
on chromosomes 10 and 17
(structures containing DNA or
genetic material) may contribute
to glioblastoma development.
Scientists continue to conduct
environmental, occupational,
familial and genetic research to
identify glioblastoma risk factors.
What are the Symptoms for
Glioblastoma?
The following symptoms could be
caused by glioblastoma. A doctor
should be consulted if any of
these problems occur. Symptoms
of brain tumors are usually due to
increased pressure in the brain and
include:
• Headaches
• Seizures
• Memory loss
• Behavior changes
Who gets glioblastoma?
An incidence or mortality rate is the
rate at which new cancer cases
or deaths occur in a population. In
California, glioblastoma incidence
What are the Treatments
for Glioblastoma?
Standard treatments include
surgery plus radiation or
surgery plus radiation and
chemotherapy. A variety of
other treatments including
variations of radiation
therapy, radiosurgery, and
brachytherapy are currently
under investigation in clinical
trials.
Five-year Age-Specific Glioblastoma Incidence Rates, by Sex,
California, 2001-2005
18
Rate per 100,000 Population
16
14
12
10
8
6
4
2
0
<1
1-4 5-9
10-14 15-19 20-24 25-29 30-34 35-39 40-44 45-49 50-54 55-59 60-64 65-69 70-74 75-79 80-84 85+
Age at Diagnosis
Male
Female
Prepared by the California Department of Public Health, Cancer Surveillance Section.
Glioblastoma Five-year Age-Adjusted Incidence Rates (AAIR),
by Race/Ethnicty and Sex, California, 2001-2005
6
Rate per 100,000 Population
Glioblastoma is a cancer of the
glial, or supportive, tissue of the
brain. Glioblastoma is the most
frequent brain tumor accounting
for approximately 12 percent to
15 percent of all brain tumors.
Glioblastoma is also called
“glioblastoma multiforme,” “grade
IV astrocytoma,” and “GBM”.
rates have remained relatively
constant over the last two
decades. The five-year ageadjusted incidence rate for
glioblastoma in California is
3.6 per 100,000 population.
• Men are more
frequently diagnosed
with glioblastoma than
women.
• Less than 10 percent
of cases occur
in children with
incidence peaking
between the ages of
60 and 84 years.
• Incidence rates are
highest in non-Hispanic
whites followed
by Hispanics, nonHispanic blacks, and
Asian/Pacific Islanders.
5
4
3
2
1
0
All Races
White
Black
Hispanic
Asian/PI
Race/Ethnicity
Incidence
AAIR Male
AAIR Female
Prepared by the California Department of Public Health, Cancer Surveillance Section.
Age-Adjusted Glioblastoma Incidence Rates, by Sex and Year
of Diagnosis, California, 1988-2005
6
5
Rate per 100,000 Population
What is Glioblastoma?
Who survives glioblastoma?
Relative survival compares
survival between a group of
cancer patients and a group
of cancer-free individuals.
Values less than 100 percent
indicate cancer shortens life in
the given population. The fiveyear relative survival rate for
glioblastoma is 4.8 percent in
California and varies little by sex or
race/ethnicity.
4
3
2
1
0
1988 1989 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005
Year of Diagnosis
Male
Female
Prepared by the California Department of Public Health, Cancer Surveillance Section.
Arnold Schwarzenegger, Governor
State of California
Sandra Shewry, Director
Department of Health Sciences
Kimberly Belshé, Secretary
California Health and Human Services Agency