In this article, we are going to study glioblastoma in detail and how you can use Low Dose Naltrexone (LDN) to treat it.

Glioblastoma is a type of glioma, which is a pugnacious kind of cancer that occurs in the glial cells. Glioblastoma is also known as glioblastoma multiforme. It starts in the brain usually and it is the most commonly occurring type of brain tumour that can develop at any age but is mostly found in adults. It grows very fast.

A tumour is actually a mass of cancerous cells. Cancer is an abnormal growth of cells. The cancerous cells grow and invade the nearby areas as well, and may even spread to the entire body organs if not controlled before time. This phenomenon is called metastasis. At this moment, cancer usually reaches stage IV when it is almost impossible to treat it. Glioblastoma is basically a stage IV cancer and is considered an incurable disease by most doctors. It depends on how lucky you are, completely. It can develop at any age but it usually develops in older people more commonly.

Glioblastoma is a type of astrocytoma and forms in the cells that are known as astrocytes. Astrocytes are responsible for controlling which type of substances can enter the brain and which cannot. They combine to form the blood-brain barrier. Astrocytes play another significant role that is to support the nerve cells and carry nutrients to them.

Astrocytoma is a type of glioma. Glioma is the most common type of brain tumour. It develops in the glial cells that are found around the nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord. The glial cells basically help the nerve cells to function but cannot due to the development of glioma. Hence, we can say that glioma creates problems for the brain to function properly. They may even be life-threatening depending upon where they are found and how fast they are growing.

Symptoms of glioblastoma

The brain is the functioning unit of your body. It is responsible for controlling your feelings, thoughts, perceptions, and actions. It gets information from your senses and then sends messages to your body parts to perform certain reactions. Different parts of your brain deal with different functioning. Sometimes, the symptoms of glioblastoma depend on the location and size of the tumour. We can consider an example of a glioblastoma occurring in the cells that are responsible for controlling the movement of your arm and another glioblastoma that occurs in an area that is responsible for your speech. In both situations, the symptoms of glioblastoma will be different. Despite these facts, there are a few symptoms that are very common in all the patients suffering from glioblastoma. These include:

• Difficulty to learn something
• Loss of hunger and appetite
• Loss of balance
• Trouble in movement
• Trouble in walking
• Headaches
• Problems with speech
• Problems with memory
• Problems with eyesight
• Changes in personality
• Changes in behaviour
• Mood swings
• Tiredness or fatigue
• Difficulty in concentrating
• Nausea or vomiting
• Seizures
• Weakness

You must know that these symptoms may worsen with the increase in the size of the tumour, as it will begin to take more space. This may put more pressure on your brain, which can trigger the symptoms of GBM to appear.

Diagnosis of glioblastoma

Glioblastoma cannot be diagnosed at home by yourself. It needs some procedure to be followed in order to diagnose it. It is very important that you get a thorough check-up by a doctor who will use different diagnosis methods to check the symptoms. Only a doctor can tell if you have it or not. The following tests or procedures might be used by a doctor to diagnose glioblastoma:

Biopsy

A biopsy is a procedure that is performed with a needle before or during the removal of the tumour. The sample of abnormal cells is taken and tested in the laboratory to determine the stage and aggressiveness of the problem.

Imaging test

Doctors perform imaging tests to determine the locality and size of your tumour. It can be done through procedures such as MRI or CT scan.

Neurological exam

Your doctor will perform a neurological exam by checking your balance, reflexes, strength, hearing, vision, etc. Moreover, you can be asked about the signs and symptoms that you may be experiencing. If the doctor notices a problem with these things, he or she may diagnose a brain tumour.

Treatment of glioblastoma

Glioblastoma is considered an incurable disease by most doctors. They claim that it can be treated using certain medications to help people live longer by controlling the growth of the tumour. They can also help to minimize the signs and symptoms of the tumour. But it cannot be completely cured. Its treatment options include:

• Surgery
• Radiation
• Chemotherapy

The treatment options for glioblastoma that are listed above are usually strong and can have long-lasting side effects. To avoid this, another treatment method is available.

Treating glioblastoma through Low Dose Naltrexone (LDN)

You can treat Glioblastoma through LDN. Low Dose Naltrexone (LDN) helps to reduce the symptoms of glioblastoma, improve your life quality, increase your life quantity and slow the growth of the tumour. This drug is available at the Harbour Compounding Pharmacy. You can contact our website for more information regarding the drug.