Drug therapy is a common treatment for some gliomas and glioblastomas. Drug therapy is also called systemic therapy because it attacks cancer cells throughout the brain and spinal cord.
Sometimes the medicine is swallowed as pills. More often, it is carefully injected into a vein by a member of your care team.
The drugs may be used before surgery or radiation therapy to try to shrink the tumor. They are often used after surgery or radiation therapy as well, to destroy remaining cancer cells.
Types of drug therapy for gliomas and glioblastomas
Therapy includes 2 categories of drugs, which doctors may recommend combining:
- Chemotherapy: Chemotherapy attacks the whole cancer cell and represents the existing method for treating gliomas with medication. Treatment may cause side effects, which your team helps you manage.
- Targeted therapy: These drugs represent a newer approach to treatment, designed to target specific cancer cell features while sparing normal, healthy cells to reduce side effects. Targeted therapy has passed initial safety testing for primary brain tumor treatment, with clinical trials underway to learn more. We believe targeted therapy holds promise, and many of the people we treat for glioma, glioblastoma, and astrocytoma choose to participate in a trial. That said, the trials have certain criteria, and not everyone may qualify. Your doctor will help you explore your options.
Side effects of drug therapy for gliomas and glioblastomas
Drug therapy is effective at stopping cancer cells from growing and proliferating, but the drugs can also inadvertently damage healthy cells, leading to side effects.
Fortunately, newer drugs are less toxic, and Stanford continues to develop new agents, combinations and delivery methods that are less burdensome.
Common side effects of drug therapy include:
- Fatigue
- Diarrhea
- Nausea and vomiting
- Hair loss
- Loss of appetite, change in taste
- Constipation
- Numbness or tingling in your fingers or feet (neuropathy)
If you experience side effects during treatment, notify your health care team. There are medicines to treat and even prevent associated problems like nausea, vomiting and diarrhea that are much more effective now.
Published April 2018
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