Glioblastoma Multiforme: A Genetic Analysis
Recent advancements in medical technology have allowed doctors to permanently extract the most prevalent cancerous brain tumor, Glioblastoma Multiforme, and improve the lives of countless individuals and their families. By using a modified form of the poliovirus, doctors are now able to eradicate the cancer without compromising the health of the patient.
Glioblastoma Multiforme is the most common and most aggressive cancer that starts within the brain. Glioblastomas represent 15% of all brain tumors and “are usually caused by a change in genetic structure. This change in genetic structure may be inherited, caused by the environment, or both. A study by Bondy et al. (1994) showed that 80% of patients with glioblastoma multiforme had more …show more content…
This new anti-cancer virus has been renamed to PVS-RIPO. Treatment is started off by taking PVS-RIPO and injecting it directly into the patient’s tumor. By injecting the tumor itself, it is getting the direct amount of power of the virus to aggressively start killing the cancer. The human immune system then detects the virus infections and responds by aggressively attacking the tumor (Targeting Cancer with Genetically Engineered Poliovirus (PVS-RIPO)). Unlike removing the tumor through surgery, this treatment effectively shrinks the tumor, and the overall goal is the hope for this method to keep the cancer from coming back compared to previous methods. Depending on where the tumor is located in the brain, it can make it very difficult for a lot of chemotherapeutics to penetrate the brain and aggressively attack the tumor. Another issue is trying to surgically reach the tumor, and when in a difficult location, the tumors very easily re occur (Patel, Vir.).
With the new medical breakthrough, there is now hope for all those who have the everyday struggles or life threatening symptoms that come along with Glioblastoma Multiformes. While before there was no permanent cure for this common cancer, after this new treatment, the outcomes are promising. Normal life without all the effects of the tumor or the effects that come along with chemo or radiation therapy lead to healthier overall patients. With further procedures and testing, there is now a light at the end of the tunnel for the many who suffer from Glioblastoma
Glioblastoma Multiforme is the most common and most aggressive cancer that starts within the brain. Glioblastomas represent 15% of all brain tumors and “are usually caused by a change in genetic structure. This change in genetic structure may be inherited, caused by the environment, or both. A study by Bondy et al. (1994) showed that 80% of patients with glioblastoma multiforme had more …show more content…
This new anti-cancer virus has been renamed to PVS-RIPO. Treatment is started off by taking PVS-RIPO and injecting it directly into the patient’s tumor. By injecting the tumor itself, it is getting the direct amount of power of the virus to aggressively start killing the cancer. The human immune system then detects the virus infections and responds by aggressively attacking the tumor (Targeting Cancer with Genetically Engineered Poliovirus (PVS-RIPO)). Unlike removing the tumor through surgery, this treatment effectively shrinks the tumor, and the overall goal is the hope for this method to keep the cancer from coming back compared to previous methods. Depending on where the tumor is located in the brain, it can make it very difficult for a lot of chemotherapeutics to penetrate the brain and aggressively attack the tumor. Another issue is trying to surgically reach the tumor, and when in a difficult location, the tumors very easily re occur (Patel, Vir.).
With the new medical breakthrough, there is now hope for all those who have the everyday struggles or life threatening symptoms that come along with Glioblastoma Multiformes. While before there was no permanent cure for this common cancer, after this new treatment, the outcomes are promising. Normal life without all the effects of the tumor or the effects that come along with chemo or radiation therapy lead to healthier overall patients. With further procedures and testing, there is now a light at the end of the tunnel for the many who suffer from Glioblastoma